Friday, March 22

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A man hugs a woman on the site of Russia’s morning missile attack on March 21, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Tanya Dzafarowa/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC “UA: PBC”/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Zelensky: Russian missiles used in recent attack on Kyiv have estimated 1,500 foreign-made parts. The missiles that Russia launched in a mass attack against Kyiv on March 21 had an estimated total of 1,500 foreign components, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.

Syrskyi: Ukraine’s forces ‘stabilize situation’ in the east. The Ukrainian forces managed to “stabilize the situation” in the country’s east, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 21.

Russia targets energy infrastructure in Kharkiv. Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in the city of Kharkiv overnight on March 22, causing at least 15 explosions and multiple power outages across the city.

Military intelligence: Russia’s railway to Crimea is ‘important target’ for Ukraine. The railway Russia is constructing in the occupied territories of Ukraine, which leads to Crimea, is “a serious challenge” and “an important target” for Kyiv, Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson of Ukraine’s military intelligence, said on March 21.

Zelensky urges EU leaders to give Ukraine shells, air defense systems in address to European Council. President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an address to the European Council summit on March 21, urging EU leaders to provide Ukraine with more weapons, namely ammunition and air defense systems.

Ukrhydroenergo’s losses due to Russian attacks amount to over $3 billion. According to Ukrhydroenergo, Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam has caused over 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in damages to Ukraine. Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrhydroenergo’s stations cost around 500 million euros ($545.5 million).

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Official: Russia fires at occupied Kherson Oblast infrastructure in ‘provocation’ act, causes outages. Russian troops struck energy infrastructure in Kherson Oblast, leaving the city of Kakhovka without gas, electricity, and water supply, said Yurii Sobolevskyi, the first deputy head of the Kherson Oblast Council, on March 21.

Russia continues to redeploy Black Sea Fleet from Crimea, Ukraine promises ‘new steps’ to target it. Russia is continuing the redeployment of its Black Sea Fleet from occupied Crimea to the relative safety of Novorossiysk after yet more successful strikes on its ships, Ukraine’s military intelligence reported on March 21.

Media: Russian Navy accidentally hits fishing boat, authorities try to cover it up. A Russian fishing trawler was hit by a missile during Russia’s Baltic Fleet military exercises, killing three and injuring four others, a relative of one of the dead men claimed to the Russian TV Rain on March 21.

Russian media: Krasnodar Krai to close 2 prisons after inmates leave to fight in Ukraine. The number of inmates joining the Russian army has led the authorities in Krasnodar Krai to decide to close two prison colonies, Russian state media outlet Kommersant reported on March 21, citing Mark Denisov, the regional commissioner for human rights.

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Ukraine war latest: Mass attack on Kyiv injures at least 13, including child

Russian forces launched dozens of missiles towards Kyiv early in the morning of March 21, injuring at least 13 people and causing damage to homes and infrastructure throughout the city.

Photo: State Emergency Service/Telegram

‘Lives are falling apart:’ Kyiv residents shook by another mass missile attack

Hours after the attack, in the early afternoon, local residents and business owners rushed in and out, taking out the glass and other litter from their properties. 

Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Anti-Kremlin militias say incursions into Russia thwart Kremlin’s ability to launch new attacks

Following over a week of cross-border raids, the Ukrainian-equipped anti-Kremlin militias held a joint press conference in downtown Kyiv to have their voices heard.

Photo: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

Dutch defense minister: You don’t start negotiations with gun pointed at your head

Europe needs to make great strides in increasing the capacity of its defense industry, and can only do this by working together within the EU and with Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren told the Kyiv Independent on March 20.

Photo: Oleh Tymoshenko / The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Russian attack on Mykolaiv kills 1, injures 6. A Russian attack against the southern city of Mykolaiv killed one woman and injured four other civilians, Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim reported on March 21.

Russian missile attack on Kyiv injures at least 13, including child. Russian forces launched a missile attack on Kyiv early in the morning of March 21, injuring at least 13 people and causing damage to homes and infrastructure throughout the city.

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 9, injure 37 over past day. Civilian casualties were reported in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kherson Oblasts.

International response

NATO military delegation visits Kyiv for first time since start of full-scale invasion. Admiral Rob Bauer gave a speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, in which he said that his visit “is testament to the fact that NATO and Ukraine are closer than they have ever been.”

IMF approves $880 million loan payment for Ukraine. The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a third review of Ukraine’s $15.6 billion loan program. This decision enables the release of $880 million designated for budget support.

French army chief: Putin needs to know West could send troops to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to understand that Western support for Ukraine could extend to troops on the ground, the chief of France’s Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhard, said on March 21, as reported by AFP.

Estonian minister unveils $22 million defense package during Kyiv visit.

“The package includes recoilless anti-tank guns, explosives, various types of artillery ammunition, gas masks, sniper equipment, smaller caliber ammunition, and more,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

Estonian PM: Russian defeat will help prevent WWIII. “We want to have peace, but we want to have sustainable peace and peace on Russia’s terms is not sustainable,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said.

Austrian chancellor opposes profits from frozen Russian assets being used to buy weapons for Ukraine. While some leaders, such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo backed the idea, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer publicly voiced opposition to the proposal.

Hungary’s Orban congratulates Putin on election ‘win.’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated Vladimir Putin on his presidential election win in a letter lauding their countries’ cooperation “based on mutual respect.”

In other news

Kyiv Independent editor-in-chief on Ukrainska Pravda’s Power of Women list.

Kyiv Independent Editor-in-Chief Olga Rudenko has been selected for the list of Ukrainska Pravda’s Power of Women, a list of 100 Ukrainian women who are bringing “victory closer with daily work, self-sacrifice, and care for the next generations of Ukrainians.”

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Hodunova, Elsa Court, Toma Istomina, Kateryna Denisova, Chris York, Olena Goncharova, and Rachel Amran.

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