War in Ukraine – Latest news
This major incident page is created to record in summarized format the Russian attack on Ukraine, which began on 24th February following the announcement of a Military Operation earlier in the day. The page highlights those issues and actions relevant to, and undertaken by Portugal in response. The information comes from multiple sources both in Portugal, overseas including directly from in Ukraine itself.
This page is for situation reports wef 15th March at 1800 hrs.
Reports to 28th February can be read here.
Reports from 28th February to 5th March can be read here
Reports from 6th to 8th March can be read here
Reports from the 9th to 14th March can be read here
Reports from 15th March can be read here
Situation Report 0900 hrs Sunday 3rd April 2022
UKRAINIAN FORCES RETAKE ENTIRE KYIV REGION
Ukrainian forces have retaken the entire region around Kyiv, the deputy defence minister says, as Russian forces withdraw from key towns. Russian troops have abandoned Hostomel airport near the capital, leaving behind the wreckage of the world’s largest aircraft. But as Moscow’s forces retreat, evidence of civilian killings is mounting see casualties below) (BBC)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says retreating Russian troops are leaving behind land mines, creating a “catastrophic” situation. (Aljazeera). Rescuers deactivate more than 640 explosive devices in liberated town of Irpin near Kyiv in one day. The mayor of Irpin said the city won’t be safe for a month, as the military will be clearing it from explosives left by Russians. (KI)
MILITARY ACTION
Smoke rises after an attack by Russian army in Odessa, on April 3, 2022. – Air strikes rocked Ukraine’s strategic Black Sea port Odessa early Sunday morning, according to an interior ministry official, after Kyiv had warned that Russia was trying to consolidate its troops in the south
EVIDENCE OF ATROCITIES
As Russian forces retreat, journalists in Ukraine say they’ve seen at least 20 bodies – dressed in civilian clothes – on a street in a town near Kyiv. The reporters travelled to Bucha with Ukrainian troops, after Russian forces retreated. One commander said all men aged between 18 and 60 had been rounded up and executed by Moscow’s soldiers. Meanwhile, the mayor of Bucha told AFP news agency a mass grave in the town contained 280 bodies. Ukrainian authorities said the body of a well-known photographer, Maks Levin, had been found near a village in the region around Kyiv. BBC/AFP
REFUGEES
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said its efforts to evacuate people from the besieged city of Mariupol are continuing, hours after Russia said it had failed and blamed the organisation. “The humanitarian operation to facilitate the safe passage of civilians out of Mariupol is ongoing. The situation on the ground is volatile and subject to rapid changes,” an ICRC spokesperson told Reuters news agency by email.
Russia’s defence ministry said aid convoys had not been able to reach Mariupol on Friday or Saturday due to “destructive actions” by the ICRC, (Interfax news agency)
Ukrainian refugees enter Estonia, via Russia – Estonian officials say Ukrainian refugees arriving from Russia include some moved out of besieged Mariupol into Russian territory. Ukraine has accused Russian forces of “deporting” thousands of civilians from Mariupol, a port city devastated by Russian shelling. Russia denies forcing people to leave, but says it is looking after thousands of people from there.
US is expected to help facilitate transfer of tanks from NATO allies to Ukraine, according to senior US officials. The tanks will be Soviet-era T-72 tanks, which Ukrainian military has experience operating and will be delivered “within days, not weeks,” (Guardian)
DESTRUCTION/RECONSTRUCTION COSTS
Russian troops have destroyed 6,800 residential houses in Ukraine. The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Communities and Territories Development Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “According to the preliminary data, Russia has destroyed 6,800 residential houses in Ukraine. But, unfortunately, this number is increasing every hour. The destruction volumes are catastrophic. More than 1,000 housing stock facilities were destroyed in Kharkiv. A large number of houses were destroyed in Chernihiv and Mariupol,” Chernyshov noted. In his words, dozens of billions of dollars will be needed to restore the core infrastructure only after the war ends. The development part and the restoration of bridges and urban areas will cost hundreds of billions of dollars. (Unikrom)
RUSSIAN GAS
The head of Latvia’s natural gas storage operator has said Baltic States are no longer importing Russian natural gas. “If there were still any doubts about whether there may be any trust in deliveries from Russia, current events clearly show us that there is no more trust,” said Uldis Bariss, CEO of Conexus Baltic Grid.
ANTI-WAR PROTESTORS ARRESTED
A Russian group that monitors political arrests says 208 people have been arrested in demonstrations across the country on Saturday protesting against Russia’s war in Ukraine. He OVD-Info group said demonstrations took place in 17 Russian cities, from Siberia to the more densely populated west. More than 70 people were detained in Moscow and a similar number in St. Petersburg, the organisation said. (Aljazeera)
Situation Report 1800 hrs Wednesday 30th March 2022
MILITARY ACTION
Russia has been accused of intensifying its bombardment of the besieged Ukrainian city of Chernihiv despite claims the Kremlin would drawback out of respect for ongoing peace talks. Vladyslav Atroshenko, Chernihiv’s mayor, said the Russians had lied and that they were continuing to heavily hit his city. “They’re saying reducing intensity, they actually have increased the intensity of strikes,” he told CNN.
There was also continued barraging of Kyiv’s suburbs, Ukrainian officials said, said although a defence ministry spokesperson said there were some signs of troop movements away from the two cities. Russia’s defence ministry said its forces were regrouping near Kyiv and Chernihiv in order to focus on other key areas and complete the “liberation” of the breakaway Donbas region, Russian news agencies reported.
The Ukrainian military said Russian troops were also intensifying their attacks around the eastern city of Izyum and the eastern Donetsk region, after redeploying some units from other areas. The regional Donetsk governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said Russian forces are shelling nearly all cities along the frontline separating Ukrainian government-controlled territory from the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk in the east.
Russian forces struck a Red Cross facility in the besieged southern Ukraine port city of Mariupol, the Ukrainian ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, said. An International Red Cross (ICRC) spokesperson confirmed an image being circulated showed an ICRC warehouse in Mariupol, but that they could not provide any other information.
Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, that Russian shelling of Mariupol will end only when Ukrainian troops surrender, the Kremlin said. French officials said Putin had agreed to consider plans to evacuate citizens out of the southern Ukrainian city, but the Russian government said Putin had insisted to Macron that Ukrainian “nationalist militants” must surrender.
UK Defence Intelligence: Some Russian units returned to Belarus, Russia to reorganize and resupply. This is placing further pressure on Russia’s already strained logistics and demonstrates the difficulties Russia is having reorganizing its units, according to a report released by the U.K. Ministry of Defence on March 30. “Russia will likely continue to compensate for its reduced ground maneouver capability through mass artillery and missile attacks,” the report reads. (MOD)
CASUALTIES
An estimated 200-300 civilians were killed in the Ukrainian town of Irpin near Kyiv before the town was taken back from Russian forces this week, the local mayor, Oleksandr Markushyn, said. About 50 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed in Irpin, and some bodies were still trapped under rubble, he said, adding that there had been Russian shelling in the area all night.
Russia’s war kills at least 145 children, wounds 222 others. Since Russia began its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 69 children were either killed or injured in Kyiv Oblast, 49 in Kharkiv Oblast, 54 in Donetsk Oblast, 39 in Chernihiv Oblast, 30 in Mykolaiv Oblast, 28 in Luhansk Oblast, 22 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 25 in Kherson Oblast, 16 in the city of Kyiv, 15 in Zhytomyr Oblast, and 16 in Sumy Oblast, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office. (KI)
RUSSIAN MILITARY CASUALTIES
Ukraine’s military: Over 17,300 Russian troops killed since Feb. 24. The General Staff also reported taking out 1,723 Russian armoured personnel carriers, 605 tanks, 1,184 vehicles, 305 artillery pieces, 54 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 96 launch rocket systems, 131 planes, 131 helicopters, 75 fuel tanks, 21 pieces of special equipment, 81 UAVs, and seven boats.(KI)
NEGOTIATIONS
The Kremlin played down hopes of an early breakthrough a day after peace talks in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine. “We cannot state that there was anything too promising or any breakthroughs,” the Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said. He said it was “positive” that Kyiv had outlined its demands but there was “a lot of work to be done”.
Vladimir Putin’s advisers are “too afraid to tell him the truth” about how poorly the war in Ukraine is going and how damaging Westerns sanctions have been to Russia’s economy, according to a US official. Reuters quoted the official as saying the US believes Putin “is being misinformed” by his advisers. (Reuters)
Russia sees no breakthrough in Ukraine’s peace proposals. According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia hadn’t noticed anything “really promising” in the proposals Ukraine presented at peace talks on March 29. The plan included a 15-year consultation period on the status of the Crimean peninsula occupied by Russia in 2014. Peskov said it was impossible to discuss Crimea’s status as it was “part of Russia, and the Russian constitution precluded discussing the fate of any Russian region with anyone else.” (KI)
REFUGEES
More than 4 million people have fled Russia’s “utterly senseless” war on Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion on 24 February, the UN refugee agency said. The figure surpasses the UN’s initial estimate that the war would create up to 4 million refugees. More than 90% are women and children.
CHINA
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, hailed China as part of a new “just, democratic world order” ahead of a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. In his first visit to China since Russia invaded Ukraine last month, Lavrov said the world was “living through a very serious stage in the history of international relations”. Wang said Beijing and Moscow are “more determined” to develop bilateral ties and boost cooperation and reaffirmed China’s support for continued peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Deputy prime minister: Special UN mission needed to eliminate risk of nuclear accident at Chornobyl. Iryna Vereshchuk said that Russian forces had set up an ammunition warehouse near Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. “We demand that the UN Security Council adopt immediate measures to demilitarize the Chornobyl exclusion zone and dispatch a special mission to eliminate the risks,” she said. (KI)
Situation Report 1800 hrs Monday 28th March 2022
MILITARY ACTION
One week into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia massed a 40-mile mechanised column in order to mount an overwhelming attack on Kyiv from the north. But the convoy of armoured vehicles and supply trucks ground to a halt within days, and the offensive failed, in significant part because of a series of night ambushes carried out by a team of 30 Ukrainian special forces and drone operators on quad bikes, according to a Ukrainian commander. The drone operators were drawn from an air reconnaissance unit, Aerorozvidka, which began eight years ago as a group of volunteer IT specialists and hobbyists designing their own machines and has evolved into an essential element in Ukraine’s successful “David-and-Goliath” resistance. (Kyiv News)
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY
The Ukrainian President will address the Greek parliament on April 7, less than a month and a half after the start of the Russian invasion of his country, where around 150,000 Greeks live, a parliamentary source in Athens said today.
CASUALTIES
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has already caused at least 1,151 deaths and 1,824 injuries among the civilian population, most of them due to explosive weapons with a wide area of impact, the UN said today. In its daily report on confirmed civilian casualties since the start of Russian military aggression in Ukraine on 24 February, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) counted, as of 24:00 on Sunday (local time), 103 children among the dead and 133 among the wounded.
The UN High Commissioner believes that these data on civilian casualties are, however, far below the real numbers, especially in territories where intense attacks do not allow the collection and confirmation of information.(OHCHR)
On Friday, the Russian Army General Staff said 1,351 Russian soldiers had been killed and 3,825 wounded since the start of what Moscow said was a “special military operation” in Ukraine. However, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated on Monday, that about 17,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the beginning of the Russian military offensive, without clarifying the total number of deaths.
MILITARY LOSSES
Between February 24 and March 28, Russian troops lost 586 tanks, 1,694 armoured fighting vehicles, 302 artillery systems, 95 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) and 54 air defence systems, according to the same published briefing note by the Ukrainian military authorities on the social network Facebook and quoted by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. Kiev also indicated that Russian troops also lost 123 planes, 127 helicopters, 1,150 vehicles, seven ships, 73 fuel tankers, 66 operational tactical unmanned aerial devices, 21 special equipment and four missile launchers.
The statement from the Ukrainian Armed Forces added that the data is being updated, indicating, however, that the collection of this information is difficult due to “the high intensity of hostilities”.
REFUGEES
Nearly 3.9 million refugees, but flow is slowing. Some 40,000 people fled Ukraine in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of refugees from the fighting unleashed by the Russian army to 3,821,049, according to the UN tally released today. According to the official website of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 3,862,797 Ukrainian refugees were registered at 10:00 GMT (same time in Lisbon) today. The number represents 41,748 more people than were counted on Sunday. The flow of refugees has declined sharply since Tuesday, but this week is expected to exceed estimates put forward by UNHCR at the beginning of the war, when the UN agency predicted that up to four million Ukrainians, almost a tenth of the national population. (UNHCR)
The International Committee of the Red Cross denies accusations it helped with forced evacuations of Ukrainians to Russia. (Red Cross)
EC BRUSSELS
The European Commission today called on European member states to “immediately revoke” citizenship-by-investment regimes, golden passports, and control residency regimes, ‘gold’ visas, programs with “increased risks” due to the Ukraine war. At issue is a recommendation released today, in which “the Commission urges Member States to immediately revoke any existing investor citizenship schemes and to ensure that strong checks are in place to address the risks posed by investor residency schemes”, according to information sent to the press.
PORTUGAL
More than 23,000 requests for temporary protection have been granted so far by Portugal to people who fled the Ukrainian war, according to the latest update made by the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF). The SEF states that the 23,419 requests for temporary protection were granted since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, on February 24, until 1:00 pm today. According to the SEF, among the Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Portugal and benefited from temporary protection, 8,381 are minors.
NEGOTIATIONS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appears to have ruled out any direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying it would be “counterproductive”. According to Reuters, Lavrov says that moment should only come when the two sides are close to reaching agreement on key issues. Ukraine’s Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said earlier that he did not expect “any progress on the main issues” which were due to take place on Monday, postponed to Tuesday.
US PRESIDENT
The Kremlin on Monday denounced “alarming” comments by US President Joe Biden, who called Russian Vladimir Putin a “butcher”, in the midst of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. “This statement is undoubtedly alarming,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, before warning that Moscow would continue to “closely monitor” the US president’s comments. During his visit to Poland on Saturday, Joe Biden said that Vladimir Putin was a “butcher” who “cannot remain in power”. Hours later, US diplomacy and allies made it public to clarify that the US and NATO do not want regime change in Russia.
NEGOTIATIONS
Delegations are arriving today, so the new round should not start until Tuesday. Moscow prefers not to reveal details about the ongoing negotiations, arguing that doing so could “harm” the work. However, the Kremlin spokesman considers that “the fact that it was decided to continue the negotiations in person is very important”, he considered. Turkey hopes Moscow-Kiev talks will lead to ceasefire. The Turkish Government hopes that the talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, scheduled for this week in Istanbul, will result in a “lasting ceasefire” that will pave the way for peace, the Turkish Foreign Minister said today.
ENERGY
China’s state-run Sinopec Group has suspended talks for a major petrochemical investment and a gas marketing venture in Russia, according to the Reuters news agency.
SANCTIONS
Dutch beer producer Heineken announced today that it will leave Russia, where it has 1,800 employees, due to the invasion of Ukraine. “We are transferring our business to a new owner, in full compliance with international and local laws,” the company source said in a statement. The company had already announced on March 9 the cessation of production and sale of its drinks in Russia. Founded in the 19th century in Amsterdam, Heineken produces and sells over 300 brands of beer and cider, including Heineken, Strongbow and Amstel, and employs over 85,000 people worldwide.
EVACUATIONS/HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS
The main Ukrainian port city, Mariupol, is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe and must be completely evacuated, the mayor said. About 160,000 civilians were stranded in the city on Monday, according to Vadym Boichenko. About 26 buses are waiting to evacuate people, but Russian forces have not agreed to provide safe passage.
Ukraine has no plans to open any humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from besieged cities on Monday, due to reports warning of possible Russian “provocations” along the routes, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said this morning, according to reports. (Reuters)
The UN will seek to establish a “humanitarian ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, the organization’s secretary-general, António Guterres, announced this Monday, preparing to send his deputy for humanitarian affairs to Kiev and Moscow. (UN).
CURRENCY
The G7 countries today considered that Moscow’s demand to pay Russian gas in rubles is “unacceptable”, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck declared today. “All the G7 ministers were in agreement that this is a clear and unilateral breach of existing contracts (…) which means that a payment in rubles is not acceptable,” Habeck said after a meeting in virtual world with their G7 counterparts. “I think this demand can be interpreted as Putin is leaning against the wall,” he said, alluding to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced last week that Moscow would no longer accept payment in euros and dollars for exports of gas for the European Union.
Situation report 0700 hrs Sunday 27th March 2022
REFUGEES
The authorities in Mariupol, in southern Ukraine, denounced the detention of 700 people, including doctors and patients, who had taken refuge in the basement of a hospital in the city under fire by Russian troops. Local sources reported, according to Ukrainian portal Ukrinform, that an undetermined number were deported to an unknown location.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned that there are no safe humanitarian corridors to evacuate the population of Mariupol. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on public television that only private vehicles can leave the city, as Russian troops are blocking the passage of buses.
MILITARY ATTACKS
Several Russian rockets have struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, which has been a haven for displaced people since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.Governor Maksym Kozytsky said two rockets struck a fuel depot in the city’s eastern outskirts in mid-afternoon on Saturday, injuring five people, and two rockets later hit a military factory. He added that he had visited the scene of the first strikes and that the situation was “under control”, but called on residents to take shelter. Mayor Andriy Sadoviy said another air raid had caused “significant damage” to infrastructure facilities.”
Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said that Russian forces attacked fuel infrastructure in Lviv. In total four strikes struck the city, five people are injured. Firefighters are trying to extinguish the fires. (KI)
According to the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate, the nuclear research reactor at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology has come under renewed Russian fire. Ukrainian authorities have not yet been able to assess damage to the site, due to constant shelling. (KI)
The Ministry of Defense said that the Russian troops hit the memorial in Drobytsky Yar, a ravine where, according to different estimates, from 16,000-20,000 people, mostly Jews, were massacred by Nazi troops in 1941. (KI)
Advisor to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Vadym Denysenko has stated that it is still “too early” to state that Russian forces have “refused to storm Kyiv.” According to the adviser, Russia is currently focusing its efforts on taking the cities of Mariupol and Izyum in order to gain control over Donbas.
CASUALTIES
Russian general Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev, who reportedly died on Saturday, is highest ranked officer to be killed, according to Ukraine’s defence ministry. Experts say low morale among Russian troops has forced senior officers closer to the front line.Our security correspondent Frank Gardner says the reported deaths could partly be a result of generals having to get close to the fighting to dislodge their troops from getting bogged down. (BBC)
US PRESIDENT
“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power”, US President Joe Biden said about his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin during a speech in Poland’s capital Warsaw on Saturday. This was quickly followed by the White House saying Biden wasn’t calling for regime change, but was instead making a point about Putin not being allowed to exercise power over his neighbours. The Kremlin responded by saying: “That’s not for Biden to decide – the president of Russia is elected by Russians”
HUMANITARIAN
The advance of Russian troops means that large-scale evacuations from the war-torn city of Chernihiv are no longer possible, said Mayor Vladislav Atroshenko.
“The city authorities are no longer able to organize humanitarian corridors or evacuate the wounded,” he said, adding that a pedestrian crossing out of the city is under “constant” attack by Russian troops. “We are deciding how to take out the seriously injured. We were unable to operate them locally.” About 44 people, both military and civilian, need medical attention. Of these, three are children. More than 200 civilians have died and 120,000 remain in the city.
Ukraine has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross not to open the post that is planned for the Russian city of Rostov. According to Reuters, Ukrainians understand that this would legitimize the “humanitarian corridors” organized by Moscow, and that Ukrainian forces say they are causing abductions and forced deportations.
The Minister for the Reintegration of the Occupied Ukraine Territories says Russian troops have evacuated 40,000 Ukrainians from the war zone, taking them to the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk or even to Russia. In statements published on the government website, Iryna Vereshchuk accuses Russia of creating an alternative “humanitarian reality”, while trying to establish its own evacuation routes, namely in Mariupol.
JOURNALISM
BBC News journalists in Russia have resumed their English-language broadcasts, days after putting their work on hold after the introduction of a strict new media law. The law threatens anyone deemed to have spread “fake” news about Russia’s armed forces with up to 15 years in jail. Numerous other Western news media also suspended their operations. The BBC has decided to resume work after “careful deliberation”, it said. (BBC)
IMF FUNDING FOR UKRAINE
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $1.4bn (£1.1bn) in emergency funding for Ukraine to meet “urgent balance of payment needs”. The Fund’s executive board said Ukrainian authorities would work with the IMF “to design an appropriate economic programme aimed at rehabilitation and growth, when conditions permit”. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva added: “Once the war is over and a proper damage assessment can be performed, additional large support is likely to be needed to support reconstruction efforts.”
Use of letter “Z” in public
Germany will sue anyone who uses the letter “Z”, symbol of support for Russia Two major German regions, Bavaria and Lower Saxony, will prosecute anyone who uses the letter “Z” in public, a symbol of support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. During the invasion, a blank “Z” appeared on the tanks and uniforms of Russian forces. Since then, the symbol has been seen in public spaces, in Russia and abroad.
Situation Report 0800hrs Friday 25th March 2022
UK SAYS UKRAINE HAS REGAINED CITIES AND DEFENSIVE POSITIONS NEAR KIEV
The MOD says the Ukrainians managed to recover cities and defensive positions as far as 35 kilometres east of Kiev.
“Ukrainian counterattacks and the retreat of Russian forces allowed Ukraine to reoccupy cities and defensive positions up to 35 kilometres east of Kiev.” “Ukrainian forces will likely continue to try to push Russian forces along the north-west axis from Kiev to Hostomel airport.”In southern Ukraine, Russian forces try to bypass Mykolaiv while looking to head towards Odesa.”
Russian forces shelled a train transporting Ukrainian IDPs from Kyiv to Ivano-Frankivsk as it was passing near the town of Vasylkiv in Kyiv Oblast, according to Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia Olekandr Kamyshin. Windows were smashed in three train cars, no injuries were reported. (KI)
Ukraine authorities say in the past 24 hours they’ve contained multiple fires and explosions from Russian shelling. On Thursday, the state emergency service extinguished 13 fires in Kyiv and six in Kharkiv caused by Russian strikes, the Internal Affairs ministry said. Emergency workers in Kharkiv have also been clearing rubble from destroyed buildings and battling 25 grassfires and other blazes in open areas. Local workers also managed to contain a blaze at an oil depot in Kalynivka, a small town just south of Kyiv. In Luhansk, one of the breakaway eastern regions, Ukraine officials said Russian shelling had struck more than 30 buildings, including several tower blocks, houses and utilities. (BBC)
After a month of war in Ukraine, Russia is achieving few goals and missing strategic cities. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) concludes: “The initial Russian campaign to seize Ukraine’s capital and major cities and force regime change has failed.” The result could be this: “The war is likely to evolve into a bloody stalemate phase, which could last for weeks or months,” anticipates the US-based military affairs think tank in an assessment this week.
EVACUATIONS
External Russia claims to have ‘evacuated’ 402,000 Ukrainians to Russia. Out of them, 84,000 are children, according to the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmyla Denisova. Ukraine is not yet able to verify these statistics, but the Ukrainian government is investigating the removal of 2,389 children from Ukraine.
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said there were 40 buses waiting to take civilians out of Mariupol, but that Russian forces were not letting them through. There were meant to be seven humanitarian corridors open on Thursday – although Mariupol was not included among them. (Guardian)
G7 WARNS RUSSIA NOT TO USE BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The G7 warned Russia not to use biological, chemical or nuclear weapons in Ukraine. “We warn against any threat of the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons or related materials,” reads a joint statement from the seven countries released by Germany. This warning comes after the meeting in Brussels, which brought together the leaders of the group of the seven most industrialized countries in the world.
Alliance head Jens Stoltenberg says NATO is stepping up chemical and nuclear defences for its forces in Eastern Europe in the face of fears over Russia’s war on Ukraine.
POLAND
Russia accuses NATO member Poland, which neighbours Ukraine, of embarking on a “dangerous escalation” in tensions between Moscow and the West after Warsaw expelled 45 Russian diplomats for alleged espionage.
Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader of Belarus, has warned that a Polish proposal to deploy a western peacekeeping force in Ukraine could trigger “world war three”. Lukashenko, who has allowed Russia to use Belarus’ territory to send troops into Ukraine, said on Thursday that should Poland’s suggestion be taken up “it will mean world war three”. The peacekeeping idea or any other direct NATO intervention has previously attracted no support from the US or many other allies. (Guardian)
SANCTIONS
The US and its allies announced new sanctions on more than 400 Russian elites and institutions. Among those sanctioned were Russia’s lower house of parliament, the Duma, and 328 of its members. The US treasury department also issued guidance, warning that US authorities may impose sanctions on gold-related transactions involving Russia. (Guardian)
GERMANY SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID TO UKRAINE VIA CONVOY
Germany has sent around 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine via a newly created “rail link”, which allows trains to run between the two countries. German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said in an interview released today by the German media group Funke that the rail link was established two weeks ago to bring food, drinks and necessary hygiene products from Germany to Ukraine. At a freight terminal in Berlin, Wissing said that many of the goods sent to Ukraine by train were donated.
US PRESIDENT VISITS POLAND
The US president travels this Friday to Poland, the country that has received the most Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the Russian invasion, and visits Rzeszów, near the border with Ukraine, the White House announced. Joe Biden arrives in Rzeszów after having been in Brussels, the first stop on his European trip, and will be received in the early afternoon by Polish President Andrzej Duda.
At this meeting, he will be informed about the humanitarian response given to the growing number of Ukrainian refugees who have arrived at the border, according to the President’s agenda.
US MAKES PLANS IN CASE RUSSIA USES CHEMICAL OR NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The White House has set up a team of experts to plan how the United States could respond should Russia use weapons of mass destruction – chemical, biological or nuclear – during its invasion of Ukraine, senior administration officials said on Thursday. Russia has repeatedly raised the prospect of using nuclear weapons as it struggles to overcome Ukraine’s military during the month-old war that the Russian government calls a “special operation.” This week, the Kremlin said such weapons would only be used in the case of an “existential threat.”
U.S. officials have warned that Russia’s accusations that Ukraine might use chemical weapons are a lie, and also an indication Moscow may resort to their use, given past precedent. CNBC)
MILITARY AID UKRAINE
The UK and allies will “ramp up” lethal aid to Ukraine, Boris Johnson said following a meeting of G7 leaders. The UK will send an additional 6,000 missiles and provide £25m in funding for Ukraine’s armed forces, he said, with kit provided “in the quantity and with the quality” needed by Ukraine to defend itself against “its bullying neighbour”.
NEW UKRAINIAN LAW PUNISHES UP TO 12 YEARS IN JAIL FOR COLLABORATION WITH RUSSIA
The Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, today passed a bill that makes “collaboration” with Russia punishable by up to 12 years in prison, in a vote that came a month after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.The text was approved by 350 votes in favour, none against and 39 abstentions, according to a statement. The bill now approved adds to the current Ukrainian penal code a new article entitled “Aid and complicity with the aggressor State”, which punishes any “cooperation” with “the enemy” with sentences of “from 10 to 12 years” in prison. , its Government and its armies or paramilitary forces.
OPENING OF CORRIDOR TO ALLOW PASSAGE OF FOREIGN VESSELS FROM UKRAINE
Russia claims that it will open a humanitarian corridor to allow foreign ships to leave Ukrainian ports, according to Russian state media. The supposed corridor would be 3 miles wide an open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 25.
UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations general assembly voted overwhelmingly to call on Russia to stop its war on Ukraine immediately and to provide more aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine. The resolution received 140 votes in favour and five votes against – Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Belarus – while 38 countries abstained.
WEST WANTS TO STOP RUSSIA FROM USING GOLD RESERVES
The G7 and European Union countries will sanction transactions involving Russian gold reserves, to prevent Moscow from circumventing sanctions imposed by the West, the White House announced today. “Any transaction involving gold, related to the central bank of Russia, is covered by the existing sanctions”, indicated the US presidency, while a series of international summits dedicated to the war in Ukraine, including a G7 summit and a European Council summit. “We want to close any possibility of Russia using its gold to support its currency”, explained a US Government official, who stressed that Moscow has a “considerable” reserve of that precious metal.
Situation Report 0800 Hrs Thursday 24th March 2022
CASUALTIES
NATO estimated on Wednesday that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian troops had been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine. By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over ten years in Afghanistan. A NATO military official said the estimate is based on information from Ukrainian authorities, on what Russia has released, intentionally or not, and on data gathered from open sources, accessible to the general public.
DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE
Ukrainians, out of a total population of around 45 million people, have already been forced to flee their homes in flight from the war. The complaint was made by Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This great human exodus — the worst in Europe since World War II — turned many Ukrainians into internally displaced people and many others into refugees, welcomed in third countries.
NATO, G7 and EU MEETINGS TODAY
US President Joe Biden joins fellow Western leaders in Brussels on Thursday for three summits on Russia’s war in Ukraine, a month after the invasion began. NATO, the G7 and the EU are all holding meetings, in a display of unity rarely seen by the West. Mr Biden will take part in all three, the first ever visit by a US president to an EU summit in Brussels. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will appear by video link to both NATO and EU leaders.
MILITARY ANALYSIS
Ukraine’s forces are “increasing pressure” on Russian troops occupying the region north-east of Kyiv, according to the latest intelligence assessment from the UK Ministry of Defence. Ukraine is continuing to carry out “successful counter attacks” on Russians outside the capital, the report says, and the Ukrainians have probably retaken the towns of Makariv and Moschun. “There is a realistic possibility that Ukrainian forces are now able to encircle Russian units in Bucha and Irpin,” assesses the MoD. British military officials note that Russian troops along the axis north-east of Kyiv are facing “considerable supply and morale issues”. (MOD)
Russian forces are continuing to bombard the southern port city of Mariupol, where residents have run out of water and food and an estimated 90% of the city’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed
MILITARY ATTACKS
Banned phosphorus bombs have killed four people and destroyed houses in Luhansk according to its governor. Russia has used banned white phosphorus bombs to shell residential areas in the south eastern Luhansk region, its governor has said. Four people were killed, Serhiy Haidai wrote on his Telegram channel. The shelling destroyed ten apartment buildings and 13 private houses, and set a fire in 16 of them, he wrote. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused Russia of using the phosphorus bombs that cause fires that can spread over huge areas. The use of phosphorus bombs leads to severe injuries or excruciating death, and the 1977 Geneva Convention bans their use if they endanger civilians. (Aljazeera)
Russian ship destroyed in occupied port of Berdiansk. A Russian ship has been destroyed in the Azov Sea port of Berdiansk, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has reported. It did not specify any details, but posted a video showing huge plumes of smoke rising from the port. The ship, Orsk, is a beachable landing support ship for transporting paratroopers. The Perepichka news Telegram channel reported earlier Thursday that loud explosions were heard in Berdiansk.
NO FLY-ZONE OVER UKRAINE
NATO: Ukraine no-fly zone means attacking Russia NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that declaring a no-fly zone over Ukraine means the alliance would need to massively attack Russian air defence. “Then the risk between a full war between NATO and Russia will be very high,” he told reporters before a summit with the alliance’s leader over the invasion of Ukraine. (Aljazeera)
HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS
Ukraine says seven humanitarian corridors agreed, no safe passage from Mariupol. Agreement has been reached on the establishment of seven humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from Ukrainian towns and cities, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said. She said civilians trying to leave besieged Mariupol would find transport at nearby Berdyansk, making clear Russia was not allowing a safe corridor to be created to or from the centre of the southern port city. (Aljazeera)
MILITARY ASSISTANCE
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce on Thursday that the UK will provide Ukraine with about 6,000 extra missiles. At the Nato and G7 leaders’ meetings in Brussels, Johnson will also unveil £25m ($33m) of funding to help pay Ukrainian soldiers and pilots. The UK government will also provide £4.1m for the BBC World Service to help support its Ukrainian and Russian language services in the region. “The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight,” Johnson said.
ZELENSKY CALLS FOR GLOBAL RALLY ON 24TH MARCH
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been delivering nightly video addresses since the start of the war, has called on people around the world to publicly protest on Thursday – the one month anniversary of Russia’s invasion. “The war of Russia is not only the war against Ukraine. Its meaning is much wider,” Zelensky says, for the first time delivering his address in English. “Russia started the war against freedom,” he continues, adding: “This is only the beginning for Russia.”
SANCTIONS
The UK and its western allies will increase the economic pressure on Russia and are looking to see if more can be done to prevent Putin from accessing his gold reserves, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. Ahead of a NATO meeting in Brussels, Johnson told LBC Radio that Putin had already crossed a red line and that he should appear before the International Criminal Court. “We need to do more,” he said. “And so we need to do more economically. Can we do more to stop him using his gold reserves for instance, in addition to his cash reserves?” (Aljazeera)
PORTUGAL
Ukrainians have already benefited from requests for temporary protection, granted by Portugal (update made by the Foreigners and Borders Service, at 1 pm on Wednesday). About a third of these citizens are minors. At least 500 Ukrainian children and young people are already enrolled in the Portuguese education system.
BELGIUM
The Belgian government agreed a few hours before a NATO summit to inject an extra billion euros in its defence forces, on top of $10.98bn (10 billion euros) already agreed, according to Belgian newspaper l’Echo, a move prompted by the war in Ukraine. The new investments aim at reinforcing the Belgian defence by 2030, including developing a cybersecurity unit in the Belgian army, replenishing stocks of fuel and munitions, military equipment and supplies and improving intelligence and communication systems, the paper said.
RUSSIAN UN AID RESOLUTION FAILS TO PASS
A Russian-drafted resolution has failed to pass the UN Security Council. The resolution called for aid access in Ukraine, but made no mention of Moscow’s role in the war. Russia and China were the only members to vote yes, while the remaining 13 members abstained. A rival humanitarian resolution drafted by Ukraine is due to be voted on in the General Assembly in the coming days. (UN)
Situation report 0800 hrs Wednesday 23rd March 2022
ZELENSKY TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO MEETING TOMORROW
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will participate in the NATO meeting this Thursday, March 24, via videoconference, his spokesman announced today. Ukraine will play an active role,” Serhiy Nykyforov said, without specifying which. “At the very least, it will be a speech by the president and, at the most, full participation, of course, by videoconference. The format of participation will be known in the coming days.” Zelensky will address the need to end Russia’s war crimes against the Ukrainian population and civilian infrastructure. “This can be done in a number of ways – closing airspace, providing powerful Ukraine with air defence. They are not going to talk about new security formats [for Ukraine],” he added.
MILITARY SITUATION
Russia’s combat power in Ukraine has declined below 90% of its pre-invasion levels for the first time since its attack began, a senior US defence official said on Tuesday, suggesting heavy losses of weaponry and growing casualties and describing morale issues, command-and-control problems, a reliance on conscripts and a stalled advance to Kyiv. (Guardian)
HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS
Reuters here that nine humanitarian corridors have been agreed for Wednesday according to Ukraine’s deputy prime minister. Iryna Vereshchuk said agreement has been reached to try to evacuate civilians trapped in Ukrainian towns and cities through nine “humanitarian corridors”, but no agreement had been reached with Russia to establish a safe corridor from the heart of Mariupol. (BBC)
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO MEET RED CROSS CHIEF-
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will meet the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, in Moscow in Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry has announced. Reuters report that the foreign ministry said in a statement “The agenda of the meeting envisages discussion of the key areas of the ICRC’s work in the field of humanitarian response.” (Reuters)
PUTIN PLANS TO ATTEND G20 SUMMIT
Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend a G20 summit being hosted by Indonesia later this year, according to Russia’s ambassador in Jakarta, following calls by some members for the country to be barred from the group. “Not only G20, many organisations are trying to expel Russia …. the reaction of the West is absolutely disproportional,” ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva told a news conference.
USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to rule out the use of nuclear weapons in an interview with CNN on Tuesday. Peskov told the broadcaster that such arms could be used if Russia faced an “existential threat”. Russia has the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear warheads. The Pentagon later condemned Peskov’s refusal to rule out the use of nuclear weapons.
AIR TRAVEL
Vietnam Airlines will temporarily suspend regular flights from Hanoi to Moscow starting from March 25 until further notice, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA). The suspension was to review procedures, requirements and regulations related to flight operations in Russia, VNA reported. The two countries have close ties dating back to the Soviet era and Vietnam has not so far condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (KI)
GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO PERSONALLY DELIVER AID TO MARIUPOL
Nikos Dendias, the Greek foreign minister, has announced that he intends to make a trip to besieged Mariupol to deliver humanitarian aid. The minister said he sent a note to the “Ukrainian side asking for the facilitation of the delivery of humanitarian aid in Mariupol and another note verbale to the Russian side asking not to obstruct it”. “I intend to accompany this aid in person, in coordination with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr [Peter] Maurer, with whom we are already in contact.”
Situation Report 1800 hrs Tuesday 22nd March 2022
ZELENSKY TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO MEETING TOMORROW (THURSDAY)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will participate in the NATO meeting this Thursday, March 24, via videoconference, his spokesman announced today. Ukraine will play an active role,” Serhiy Nykyforov said, without specifying which. “At the very least, it will be a speech by the president and, at the most, full participation, of course, by videoconference. The format of participation will be known in the coming days.” Zelensky will address the need to end Russia’s war crimes against the Ukrainian population and civilian infrastructure. “This can be done in a number of ways – closing airspace, providing powerful Ukraine with air defence.. They are not going to talk about new security formats [for Ukraine],” he added.
RUSSIAN MILITARY SITUATION
The Ukrainian army is carrying out offensives that have allowed, particularly in the south, to regain ground from Russian troops, who are struggling with communication difficulties, the Pentagon said this Tuesday.
The Ukrainian military “is now, in certain situations, on the offensive,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in remarks to a television station, adding that “they are chasing the Russians and driving them out of areas where they have previously been”.
“We know that they carried out counterattacks (…) especially in the last few days, in Mykolaiv”, an important city in southern Ukraine, he said. “We have seen (these territorial gains) increase in recent days. (…) It is a real proof of your ability to fight according to your plans, adapting and, again, trying to repel Russian forces”, said Kirby.
Regarding Russian troops, the Pentagon spokesman said that “their commanders do not always speak, they do not always coordinate air and ground forces”.
“We saw tensions between Russian air and ground forces. About how they supported each other with difficulty”, explained Kirby, adding that the same flaws can be observed in the Navy, where he said there were “problems with command and control” of the military.
APPRECIATION
The wife of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has thanked France’s first lady and other leaders’ wives for helping to ensure sick children reached safety. Writing to Le Parisien newspaper, Olena Zelenska paid tribute to Europeans who have been housing and helping Ukrainian refugees, saying they deserved a Nobel peace prize. (Guardian)
.
ATTACKS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says there is “nothing left” of the southern city following Russian attacks. Ukraine’s deputy prime minister calls for urgent humanitarian corridors to be set up as 100,000 civilians want to leave. A regional governor says Ukrainian and Russian forces are continuing to fight in Mariupol. At least 10 hospitals have been completely destroyed and fierce fighting is continuing around Kharkiv and Mariupol, Ukraine says. (BBC)
On 22nd March at 16.45 hrs Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian plane trying to bomb the Mariupol City Council reports (KI)
Ukraine says its troops in have succeeded in stopping a Russian advance on the port city of Odesa. However Russian naval forces have started shelling the outskirts of Odesa, as part of efforts to cut Ukrainians off from the Black Sea (BBC)
The roof of the children’s hospital in Severodonetsk caught fire after it was shelled by Russian forces. Seven children and 15 adults were evacuated from the hospital, the State Emergency Service reported on March 22
Farmak, one of Ukraine’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, suffered nearly Hr 1.5 billion in losses when its warehouse in Makariv, a town 60 kilometres west from Kyiv, burned down during the hostilities there, according to Farmak’s supervisory board member Peter Chernyshov. (KI)
Ukraine’s president has said there’s “nothing left” of Mariupol as Kyiv appealed to Moscow to allow civilians to evacuate the besieged southern port city. “There is nothing left there. Only ruins,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to the Italian parliament.
In Pavlohrad, Russian forces have destroyed a railway station with a missile strike, killing one. According to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko, 15 freight cars were derailed. Traffic through the station has been halted until further notice.
POPE FRANCIS ASKED TO MEDIATE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Tuesday on Pope Francis to mediate in his country’s conflict with Russia to help alleviate human suffering, nearly one month into Moscow’s invasion. Zelensky said he had held a telephone call with the pope and that he had “told His Holiness about the difficult humanitarian situation and the blocking of rescue corridors by Russian troops.” “The mediating role of the Holy See in ending human suffering would be appreciated,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter following the call.
REMOVALS
Russian forces ‘kidnapped’ 2,389 children from Donetsk and Luhansk, US embassy says The US embassy in Kyiv cited Ukraine’s foreign ministry as saying 2,389 Ukrainian children have been “illegally removed” from the Russian-controlled territories of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts and taken to Russia. (Guardian)
UK ARMS TO UKRAINE
The UK has provided Ukrainian forces with more than 4,000 anti-tank missile systems to help with “their resistance against Russian aggression”, the Ministry of Defence says. In a series of tweets, the ministry says the devices sent were NLAWs (Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapons). The ministry also refers to a video it describes as “Russian propaganda”. It appears to be referring to footage published by two prominent Russian hoaxers who asked UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace about an alleged nuclear weapons programme for Ukraine, and who appeared to suggest the UK was running low on anti-tank weapons. (BBC)
CASUALTIES
According to the report, Ukrainian troops have also destroyed 509 Russian tanks, 1,556 armoured vehicles, 252 artillery pieces, 80 multiple rocket launchers, 45 surface-to-air missiles, 99 jets, 123 helicopters, and 35 drones. A total of 15,300 troops have been reported killed. (KI)
A figure of 10,000 Russian soldiers killed during the war in Ukraine is a “reasonable estimate”, a Western official has said. The number briefly appeared on a pro-Kremlin website, possibly after being hacked, before being quickly deleted. The official said this number of losses could mean a further 30-40,000 Russian troops have been wounded or incapacitated in some way. (BBC)
NEWBORNS SINCE WAR STARTED
807 children were born in Kyiv in 25 days of full-scale Russian invasion. The first deputy chairman of KSCA Nikolay Povoroznyk reported about it. “And to the positive news. Life goes on! In 25 days of a full-scale Russian offensive in the capital, 807 children were born: 427 boys and 380 girls. Among newborns 15 twins. I wish the newborns and their families a peaceful sky and good health!” – stated Mykola Povoroznyk.
UKRAINIAN ZOOS
European Association of Zoos and Aquaria has already transferred some funds to zoos in Ukraine that have been suffering since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to the organization’s statement. A total of $576,000 has been raised (KI)
Situation Report 0800 hrs Tuesday 22nd March 2022
MILITARY
The focal point is Mariupol, a strategically important southern port that has suffered some of the heaviest bombardment since Russia invaded. Many of its 400,000 residents remain trapped as fighting rages around them. Russian artillery continues to pound the eastern cities of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv. A Ukrainian news outlet is reporting air raid sirens “in almost every region” of the country. The Pentagon says Russia is boosting air and sea military operations in Ukraine, flying more than 300 missions in the past 24 hours.
Russia is sending “low-quality” reserves to the front lines in Ukraine to replace its losses, according to a military assessment released Monday by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Analysts at the Washington think tank said Moscow was deploying “low-readiness” troops originally stationed in Russia’s Eastern Military District. The ISW said that Russian forces stopped offensive operations near Kyiv on Monday, instead opting to reinforce their defensive positions. Western officials said recently that the Kremlin’s troops have been largely stalled outside major population centers in the face of fierce Ukrainian attacks on their supply lines. (BBC)
Kyiv: At least eight people were killed after a strike on a major shopping mall in Kyiv, the latest in violent attacks on the capital that have left civilians worried they’ll face the same fate as Kharkiv and Mariupol — with troops bombarding civilian populations to compensate for slow progress on the battlefield. Curfew in place until 7am Wednesday
Odesa: Residential buildings were damaged by suspected Russian strikes in the southern part of this city, near the Black Sea coast. Odesa has so far avoided the worst of Russia’s onslaughts, and many residents have chosen to stay.
HUMMANITARIAN SUPPORT
United Nations agencies are setting up support centers for children and women fleeing the war in Ukraine that are designed to protect them and serve as information hubs for traveling families, a spokesman for the U.N. secretary general said. The “Blue Dot” centers will be created by the U.N. Children Fund and the U.N. refugee agency with help from local governments and civil society organizations, Stéphane Dujarric told reporters on Monday. Workers at the centers, at border entry points and other strategic locations in neighboring countries, will identify unaccompanied or separated children and help them reconnect with their families, he said. (BBC)
REFUGEES
Nearly 3.5 million people have left Ukraine while 6.5 million people have been displaced internally, the United Nations says. More than 8,000 people were evacuated on Monday.
FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM
A Russian court has banned Facebook and Instagram as “extremist”, part of the Kremlin’s sweeping efforts to censor news about the war.
US PRESIDENT
President Biden will travel to Belgium and Poland this week, seeking to hold together a Western alliance that is beginning to show potential cracks and making a symbolic appearance in a country whose leaders fear it could be a future target of Russian aggression. Biden will land in Brussels on Wednesday night, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches the one-month mark with no sign of letting up.
PEACE TALKS
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will continue with their online talks on Monday, according to the Ukrainska Pravda.
The Kremlin says peace talks have not yet made any significant progress. Moscow has accused Kyiv of stalling talks by making proposals unacceptable for Russia. Ukraine has said it is willing to negotiate but will not surrender or accept Russian ultimatums.
Situation Report 1800 Hrs Monday 21st March 2022
MILITARY ATTACK
A Russian missile strike reduced Kyiv’s Retroville shopping mall to a smouldering ruin, killing at least eight people in one of the most powerful explosions yet seen in the capital. The strike occurred in the northern part of Kyiv around 11 p.m. on March 20, flattening one part of the mall and turning the parking lot into a sea of flames. The explosion blew debris of the shopping complex a long distance away in every direction. The State Emergency Service said shortly after the explosion that 63 firefighters worked to extinguish the flames that had reached the third and fourth floor of the mall.
Prosecutor General Iryna Venedictova said the death toll counting eight people was based on preliminary information, suggesting that the number of casualties could rise. One of the victims is an employee working at Leroy Merlin, the French home retailer said. Following the news, the Ukrainian branch of Leroy Merlin called on the public to sign a petition demanding that its headquarters pulls out of Russia.
Azov regiment Captain Svyatoslav Palamar told CNN that the besieged port city continues to suffer heavy bombardment. Mariupol has been encircled by Russian troops since early March. Some 300,000 residents are still trapped in the city, cut off from electricity, water, gas, and mobile network, food and medicine supplies. (KI)
According to British military intelligence, Vladimir Putin’s forces advancing from the northeast have stalled and the bulk remain more than 15 miles (25km) from the centre of the capital. “Heavy fighting continues north of Kyiv,” the UK’s Ministry of Defence said in its latest update. “Russian forces advancing on the city from the northeast have stalled. Forces advancing from the direction of Hostomel to the northwest have been repulsed by fierce Ukrainian resistance. The bulk of Russian forces remain more than 25 kilometres from the centre of the city.” But Kyiv remains “Russia’s primary military objective” and it is “likely to prioritise attempting to encircle the city over the coming weeks”, the MOD said.
RUSSIAN MILITARY CASUALTIES
Russian tabloid admits 9,861 troops have been killed and 16,153 injured – before quickly deleting story. In an extremely unusual admission, a pro-Russian tabloid newspaper has reported that 9,861 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine. The latest figure published by Russian officials was 498.
CURFEWS
In the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko has announced a 40-hour curfew, running from 8pm local time tonight until 7am on Wednesday. People are advised to “stay at home, or in shelters when the alarm sounds”. Mr Klitschko said he had imposed the curfew because of the “likelihood of more shelling”. (Sky News)
REFERENDUM TO AGREE COMPROMISE TO END WAR
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said any compromises with Russia to end the war will need to be put to a referendum in Ukraine. “The people will have to speak up and respond to this or that form of compromise. And what they (the compromises) will be is the subject of our talks and understanding between Ukraine and Russia,” he said.
RUSSIAN JOURNALIST ACCUSED OF BEING A BRITISH SPY
Russia’s Channel One television accuses Marina Ovsyannikova of being a British spy. Russia’s state-run Channel One television has accused the journalist who staged an on-air protest over her country’s invasion of Ukraine of being a British spy. This month Marina Ovsyannikova, who is thought to have worked for the company for a number of years, walked on to the set behind the presenter with a placard denouncing the war in Ukraine. She could also be heard saying “Stop the war!” repeatedly. The journalist pleaded not guilty to the charge of organising an unauthorised public event but was fined 30,000 roubles (£213) following a court hearing. Today, Kirill Kleymenov, deputy director-general of Channel One, reacted to Ms Ovsyannikova’s on-air protest and claimed the 44-year-old may have been working for British intelligence.
LEADERS DISCUSSION OVER THE WAR
Western leaders have discussed Russia’s “brutal tactics” in Ukraine, the White House has said. Leaders of the US, Germany, France, Britain and Italy have spoken to each other by telephone and agreed on the importance of remaining united over Ukraine. They also pledged to continue coordinating efforts to help Ukrainian refugees. Now the White House has said the leaders also discussed their “serious concerns about Russia’s brutal tactics in Ukraine, including its attacks on civilians”. “The leaders also reviewed recent diplomatic efforts in support of Ukraine’s effort to reach a ceasefire,” it added. (Sky News)
RUSSIAN – US RELATIONS
Joe Biden Has Put US-Russia Ties “On the verge of rupture”: Moscow. Russia on Monday summoned the US ambassador in protest after President Joe Biden branded Russian leader Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” for Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, saying he had endangered ties. “Such statements by the American president, which are not worthy of a high-ranking statesman, have put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The statement said Ambassador John Sullivan had been handed a formal letter of protest over “recent unacceptable statements” made by Biden. (NDTV)
CYBERATTACKS
‘Evolving intelligence’ suggests Russia is exploring options for cyberattacks against US, say Biden. There is “evolving evidence” that suggests Russia is exploring options to carry out potential cyberattacks against the United States, Joe Biden has said. In a statement, the US President has also urged the private sector to harden its cyber defences immediately. (Sky News0
HOLOCAUST SURVIVER KILLED IN AIR ATTACK
Boris Romantschenko, 96, who survived the Nazi Holocaust during World War II has been killed during shelling in his apartment block in the eastern city of Kharkiv. The Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation said it was “deeply disturbed” by Romantschenko’s death and said he had “worked intensely on the memory of Nazi crimes.”
PRO-UKRAINIAN PROTESTS
Ukraine’s armed forces have said Russian troops used stun grenades and gunfire to disperse a rally of pro-Ukrainian protesters in the occupied southern city of Kherson. Video footage showed several hundred protesters in the city’s Freedom Square on Monday running to escape as projectiles landed around them. Loud bangs can be heard and there are clouds of whitish smoke. Gunfire can also be heard. (Aljazeera)
KIDNAPPINGS
According to the Foreign Ministry, 2,389 children from Russian-controlled Donbas were “illegally deported” to Russia. “The facts of abduction of children, as well as other facts of crimes of the Russian occupiers against civilians in Ukraine, are being investigated by law enforcement agencies,” the ministry reported. (KI)
ZOO ANIMALS IN DANGER
Mykhailo Pinchuk, Owner of Ukraine’s XII Months Zoo, asked for a green corridor because the blown-up bridge has left the institution isolated and there is not enough food to feed the animals. He said that humanitarian aid has not reached the zoo and emphasized that all 300 animals “are doomed” if the green corridor doesn’t work out. (KI)
CHINA AID
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country will deliver another batch of humanitarian support to Ukraine worth $1.57 million “based on the development of the situation and actual needs.” Beijing provided its first batch worth $790,000 earlier in March. China didn’t support sanctions against Russia and abstained from condemning Moscow at the UN. (KI)