Ihor Zhdanov, Olha Mashtaler, Information Defence

 

Informational Defence of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine, morning of March 22nd, based on an analysis of open sources.

1. The russian occupiers have not achieved success in any of the operational areas and have sustained heavy losses as a result of counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the situation is stable in most operational areas, and there are fights of local significance. The enemy is concentrating forces and means in certain areas to resume an attempt to carry out inadequate actions and attacks.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy is shelling and trying to attack Mariupol. The invaders conduct fire raids along the entire line. The enemy tried to break through the defences of the positions of our troops in the Avdiivka direction. They were  unsuccessful, sustained heavy losses and retreated.

Defenders of Mariupol destroyed the patrol boat “Raptor” and the electronic warfare complex “Leer-3”.

During the day, the servicemen of the Allied Forces successfully repulsed 13 enemy attacks. Ukrainian defenders destroyed: 300 servicemen, 14 tanks, 8 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 MT-LB, 3 artillery systems, and 4 cars.

Near Kyiv, thanks to the heroic actions of our defenders, the state flag of Ukraine was raised over the city of Makarov, the enemy was repulsed. Trying to attack in the direction of Brovary, the enemy sustained heavy losses and was stopped.

The occupiers continue to make significant efforts to establish control over the city of Izium, and troops are being dispersed in the area. The enemy is trying to strengthen the group, forming a line of fortifications.

Over the past 24 hours, the units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Air Defence of the Land Forces have hit more than nine enemy air targets. These are 1 plane, 6 UAVs and 2 helicopters, the number of missiles shot down is being assessed/verified.

Since the beginning of russia's full-scale war, The Armed Forces of Ukraine have killed about 15,000 russian servicemen (you can see on the diagram: 52,9% BTRs, 41,5% tanks, 15% artillery, 50,4% helicopters, 29,4% aircrafts, 4% ships).

According to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov, “the Kremlin no longer knows how to explain what is happening. After all, during these days they buried more soldiers in the regions of russia than officially admitted losses. Lies no longer help them, but the truth scares them.”

russian soldiers are demoralized and surrendered en masse. The Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, in particular, reported cases of captured of russian units and equipment – all under security guarantees.

The General Staff reports a reduction in the intensity of the use of enemy manned aircraft to assess the effectiveness of the results of missile and bomb strikes. On the eve of March 20th, the Air Forces of Ukraine reported that the main prey of Ukraine 's air defence was the UAV.

According to some US officials (source - WSJ), russian president putin has adjusted his tactics regarding the war in Ukraine, as the fighting has lasted more than three weeks: he no longer aims to take the capital and wants to force Kyiv to surrender southern and eastern territories.

russia wants to secure a “land bridge” between the western part of Russia and the Crimean peninsula, as well as expand its control over the Donbas area. The russian army will also continue shelling Ukrainian cities, hoping that this will force Volodymyr Zelenskyy to agree to russia's demands, including Ukraine's neutral status.

If putin's demands for territory and neutrality are rejected, he is expected to try to keep all the occupied territories and continue the war. He appears to use siege tactics. This means weeks, and possibly months, of missile and artillery attacks by the russian armed forces.

However, the UK Ministry of Defence claims that Kyiv remains a priority for russia, and they expect that russia will resume attempts to surround the city in the coming weeks.

Another wave of mobilization is taking place in the temporarily occupied territories. In particular, in the Donetsk region, in order to increase the number of potential "conscripts", the occupiers increase the age limit for “conscripts - from 55 to 65 years.” In the occupied territories of the Luhansk region, the students are actively involved in the ranks of the occupying army.

2. The russian occupiers continue to violate international humanitarian law.

The enemy continues to insidiously destroy the infrastructure in the captured cities, launch missile and bomb attacks on peaceful neighborhoods in Ukrainian cities and villages, rob, kidnap and take hostage Ukrainian civilians. This is a depletion tactic designed to break the resistance and spirit of the Ukrainian people and its Armed Forces.

According to Roman Prymush, Deputy Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the vast majority (90%) of enemy shelling falls on civilian infrastructure.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), russia's war against Ukraine has forced 3.5 million people to leave the country in less than 25 days of war in search of security, protection, and assistance.

115 children were killed and more than 148 were injured in the armed aggression of the russian federation in Ukraine.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on March 19th, the russian forces illegally removed 2,389 children from the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the territory of russia. The forcible transfer of civilians to the territory of the aggressor, including children, demonstrates the signs of abduction. Such actions are a gross violation of international law, in particular international humanitarian law.

According to the State Emergency Service, 21 rescuers have been killed and 47 injured since the beginning of the war in Ukraine due to shelling by russian troops. The shelling of Ukrainian rescuers during their rescue operations is a violation of the Geneva Convention and will be the subject of international courts.

The enemy continues to attack the capital of Ukraine - Kyiv. On the evening of March 20th, 2022, the armed forces of the russian federation, using weapons of war prohibited by international law, launched a rocket attack on the Podilskyi district of the capital, killing 8 people. As a result of night rocket fire by russian troops in the Podilskyi district of Kyiv, a shopping center burned down, 6 residential buildings were damaged, three of them are now uninhabitable.

In general, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration, the russians and the occupiers damaged more than 70 residential buildings in the capital with rockets and shelling.

In the afternoon on March 21st, the russian invaders again fired at residential quarters of Mykolaiiv. 

Because of shelling by the russian invaders for the last days in the Donetsk region, 3 people were lost and 5 wounded.

In the Luhansk region, invaders damaged 25 buildings on March 21st, including a children's hospital in Severodonetsk, and caused 14 fires.

Avdiivka and its territories were damaged as a result of  russian air and artillery strikes, at least one person was killed and two civilians were injured.

Morning of March 21st, Odesa was shelled by naval artillery. According to the speaker of the operational headquarters of the Odesa regional military administration, Serhii Bratchuk, the russian troops are affecting psychological stress on Ukrainian soldiers. However, in response, the Ukrainian military lined up an enemy ship.

A former prisoner of several concentration camps, Borys Romanchenko, who survived  in the Nazi camps of Buchenwald, Peenemuende, Dora and Bergen-Belsen, died as a result of a shell that hit his building in Kharkiv.

The russian occupiers continue to kidnap local community leaders - on March 21st, the head of the village of Tsyrkuni, near Kharkiv, Mykola Sikalenko, was abducted from his home.

In the Kherson region, the russian occupiers kidnapped Beryslav Mayor Oleksandr Shapovalov and another local activist. They have been in captivity for three days.

On Monday in Melitopol, the russian military abducted three Israeli citizens: Tetiana Kumok and her parents, Vira and Mykhailo Kumok.

Along with nuclear terrorism, russia is attacking enterprises and business centers to pose a mass threat to the local population. In particular, on the night of March 21st in Sumy “Sumykhimprom” was shelled, and as a result 1 tank with ammonia with a capacity of 50 tons was damaged. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the State Emergency Service, the accident was eliminated in a few hours, there is no threat to the population of Sumy.

The temporarily occupied cities continue to heroically resist the enemy, while the reaction of the occupiers to the resistance becomes more brutal, the enemy attacks the civilian population.

In Kherson, on the Freedom Square, russian occupiers hurled grenades at pro-Ukrainian protesters and opened fire, and the people were wounded.

To the next proposal of the occupiers of Mariupol to surrender the city and move to the side of russia, the mayor's adviser Petro Andriushchenko replied in his FB: No reason to wait so long if the answer is ready in advance. “F…k you, not Mariupol».

However, on Monday, the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell called the events in Mariupol a “serious war crime.”

3. Under attacks by the russian occupiers, evacuation through the humanitarian corridors continues.

As of March 21st, 8 humanitarian corridors in the Donetsk, Kyiv, and Luhansk regions were confirmed.

For the evacuation of people from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, the following routes were agreed: from Berdiansk, Manhush community, and Nikolskyi - to Zaporizhzhia. In the Kyiv region: from the village of Velyka Dymerka to Brovary; from Vorzel to the village of Bilohorodka; from Bucha to Bilohorodka; from Kozarovychi village to Vyshhorod. In the Luhansk region: from Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Hirskyi to Bakhmut.

On March 21st, seven of the eight agreed humanitarian corridors opened.

Today 3,007 Mariupol residents arrived in Zaporizhzhia from Mariupol, and 26 buses arrived in Berdiansk.

During the evacuation in the Mariupol direction, the russian occupiers opened fire on buses, injuring four children. Three children came under fire in the former Huliaipilskyi district, now Polohivskyi. The families were leaving Mariupol, one child was in a critical condition. Another family came under fire in the village of Kamianske, a child is in a critical condition.

More than 4,370 people were evacuated from the village of Velyka Dymerka to Brovary.

380 people were evacuated from Bucha and Vorzel, and humanitarian aid was delivered: food, medicine, and clothes.

300 people were evacuated from the cities of Lysychansk, Severodonetsk and Hirske to Bakhmut along the humanitarian corridor. In addition, more than 200 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to these settlements.

There was no evacuation from the village of Kozarovychi to Vyshhorod - the occupying forces fired on the column and blocked the exit.

8,057 people were rescued and evacuated through humanitarian corridors on March 21st.

4. The Ukrainian government, business, and citizens are demonstrating solidarity and consolidating their efforts to confront the enemy.

As a part of a program to relocate Ukrainian production, the state provides transportation of equipment and resettlement of workers. The Ministry of Economy reports that 86% of 898 applications for relocation have been processed. So far, 40 companies have moved from the zone of active hostilities, 18 of them have already resumed work at the new location, and another 299 will move their facilities in the near future.

He also initiated a series of programs under which the Government will pay companies 6,500 hryvnias for the employment of displaced Ukrainians. In addition, the state will pay a minimum monthly support of UAH 2,000 to citizens displaced in Ukraine. An additional UAH 3,000 will be paid for each child who was forced to move to safer regions due to the war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law to regulate and simplify reconstruction work to eliminate the consequences of hostilities.

Ukraine wants to deprive of the honorary titles those artists who have supported russian aggression or are silent. The Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy of the Verkhovna Rada addressed the President with the initiative to take away the titles of "People's/National" and "Honored Artist of Ukraine" from some artists.

In Ukraine, there was created the platform theylovewar.com with a list of artists, bloggers, and politicians who support the war against Ukraine. The list includes those who support or silently tolerate the war and the putin regime, spread fakes about the russian war against Ukraine, conceal the actions of the aggressor, and so on.

Through the “Diia” service, Ukrainians have already raised more than UAH 165 million for the army - more than 178 thousand Ukrainians have joined the fundraiser. All funds go to the Foundation “Return Alive”.

According to the State Border Guard Service, in just one day, on March 20th, 20,000 people returned to Ukraine from abroad, including 17,000 Ukrainians, mostly men intending to fight. In general, more than 350,000 Ukrainians have returned to their homeland since the beginning of the war.

5. International support and assistance to Ukraine.

Ukraine's political and diplomatic support continues to grow. The leaders of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK discussed the war in Ukraine, expressing serious concern over russia's attacks on civilians and emphasizing their continued support for Ukraine, including through security and humanitarian assistance.

The European Commission promises to prepare an official opinion as soon as possible on Ukraine's readiness to obtain EU candidate status. This was announced on Monday by the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Policy Olivér Várhelyi.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock on Monday before the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign and Defence Ministers in Brussels, the European Union will double military and financial support to Ukraine and increase it to 1 billion euros.

In addition, the EU plans to take steps to "close all loopholes to circumvent sanctions" to make it clear to some countries that there will be no opportunity to circumvent the restrictions.

New Zealand will allocate 5 million New Zealand dollars, or 3.5 million US dollars, to Ukraine for the purchase of non-lethal weapons, and will send protective equipment - bulletproof vests, helmets, and vests.

Prominent public figures from other countries and activists help Ukraine with all the methods available to them.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis raised $ 35 million to support Ukrainians. The funds were directed to the accounts of Flexport.org and Airbnb.org. Flexport.org organizes the delivery of humanitarian aid to refugee locations in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova. Airbnb.org provides free short-term housing to refugees from Ukraine.

Almost a hundred experts on Eastern Europe and international security also addressed an open letter to the German government. According to a letter published on the websites of the Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel and the Hamburg edition of Zeit Online , "all possible measures must be taken, except for a direct military confrontation with russia, to punish, restrain, and eventually end russia's aggression against Ukraine.”

Ukrainians continue to block the movement of Belarusian and russian trucks at the Kukuryki-Kozlovychi checkpoint on the Polish-Belarusian border.

According to Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Svitlana Tikhanovskaya, the "Belarusian guerrillas" are creating obstacles to prevent Belarusian troops from entering Ukraine. In particular, Belarusians who do not support the war stop russian trains, damage russian equipment, hand out leaflets, etc.

6. Provocations and fakes of russian aggressors.

Police in Bonn, Germany, warned on Monday that a fake video had been circulated on the Internet alleging that a 16-year-old boy was fatally beaten by a mob of Ukrainians in Euskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The video was published on the Telegram channel, which spreads russian propaganda about russia's war against Ukraine. The fake message said that 16-year-old volunteer “Daniel” was beaten only because he was speaking russian.

"The Bonn police, responsible for the crimes in the Euskirchen district, have no information about such a brutal attack, especially with a fatal outcome," police stated.

The russian military is painting the names and board numbers on its ships, which could mean preparing russia for future provocations against civilian ships.

7. Actions against russia and its international isolation are intensifying, and russia’s economy continues to fall sharply.

russia continues to intimidate neighboring countries that are actively supporting Ukraine in its confrontation with the aggressor.

On March 21st, a russian fighter-bomber entered the airspace of the Republic of Poland. The information was confirmed by radar data, Ukraine's allies also recorded a flight. The incident occurred immediately after the Polish leadership announced the possible deployment of Polish peacekeepers to Ukraine to ensure the safety of civilians. russia is thus provoking a clash with NATO forces.

In addition, the russian federation said on Monday that it would no longer continue talks with Japan on a peace treaty for the southern Kuril Islands.

The embargo on trade in russian oil continues. A meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers took place on Monday to discuss the possibility of imposing an oil embargo on russia.

However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Germany and other European countries to stop sponsoring russia, which is waging a bloody war against Ukraine.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said the ministry was working on proposals for new sanctions. According to him, the main direction of the ministry's work these days is to push out those international companies from russia that have not yet realized that they need to leave. These are not only some food companies (Nestle, Danone), but also point companies, without which russia will not be able to make its own missiles. 

russia's international isolation continues. In particular, land-based publishers are suspending cooperation with russian publishers due to russia's invasion of Ukraine. Well-known authors have announced the suspension of work with russian publishing houses, said Stephen King.

Following him, a similar decision was made by English science fiction writer Neil Gaiman, Canadian novelist Lynnwood Barkley, Polish science fiction writer Adam Janusz Przechrzta. New books by British businessman Richard Branson may not be published in russia.

In addition, foreign publishers Penguin Random House, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and the international book wholesaler Gardners are making announcements about stopping cooperation with the russian book market.

Poland intends to confiscate russian property located on its territory, as well as to introduce additional taxation for entities that continue to operate in the russian federation and do not leave the market despite the war in Ukraine. In addition, the Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki called on the Swiss authorities to freeze the assets of russian oligarchs in this country.

However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs proposes to use all frozen assets of the russian federation (both state and private) abroad for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg, the UK Government is preparing to temporarily nationalize the company Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail Ltd, which is engaged in gas retail in the United Kingdom. The russian giant's "daughter" supplies gas to businesses and government agencies, including the National Health Service.

However, India is one country preparing to buy more russian oil at a discount amid the refusal of US and European companies to buy fuel from russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

russia's economy continues to fall down drastically. Prices for used cars of popular brands in russia have increased by an average of 15-32% over the past two weeks, and prices for new cars assembled in russia are growing by 30-60%.

Funds of individuals in russian banks in February 2022 decreased by 1.2 trillion rubles. The outflow of funds from deposits has become a record since 2008.

The Danish logistics company Maersk has decided to completely close down its operations in russia and sell its assets there after limiting its work with the aggressor three weeks ago.

Leaders of the 5 largest film networks in russia - "Formula Cinema / Cinema Park", "Caro", "Cinemax", "Cinema Star" and "Premier Hall", which occupy more than 30% of the market, announced the decision to freeze prices. Networks are freezing ticket prices and movie bar products, but instead of Hollywood films, they will show Soviet, russian, Indian, Latin American, and South Korean films.

According to "Kommersant", "due to the current economic situation", the kremlin is considering the possibility of abandoning direct elections of governors in September.

Also on Monday, the Tver court in Moscow banned Facebook and Instagram “for extremist activities” in russia.