Kyiv Post Morning Memo – Everything You Need to Know on Thursday, Mar. 2

Good morning from Kyiv.

 There’s tragic news from Zaporizhzhia this morning after a Russian strike on an apartment block killed at least three people.

 "One missile hit a high-rise residential building. Residents sleeping peacefully were trapped under the rubble," the Ukrainian police said on Facebook.

 Emergency services videos showed rescuers hunting through the debris of the five-story building, where more than 10 apartments were destroyed, according to police.

 Elsewhere, while it’s still below freezing here and the war continues, there’s a certain sense of relief in the capital as March marks the end of a winter in which the Kremlin unsuccessfully tried to freeze Ukraine into submission.

 “This winter is over,” President Zelensky said during his daily address last night. “It was very difficult, and every Ukrainian without exaggeration felt this difficulty.

 “But we still managed to provide Ukraine with energy and heat.”

 The mood was also summed up nicely by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Emine Dzheppar.

 EMBED: https://twitter.com/EmineDzheppar/status/1631046521121648640 

What’s happening today?

 Once again, it’s all eyes on Bakhmut where the situation Ukraine faces has been described by one analyst as “critical”.

Other Topics of Interest

Ukraine to Receive Over $1 Billion in 6th Aid Package from IMF

Ukraine will receive its sixth tranche of IMF after the organization finds that the country has successfully kept its economy resilient and has completed the necessary steps to move forward.

 The longest and bloodiest battle of Russia's full-scale invasion continues apace, with one Ukrainian lawmaker saying “there is no sense in holding it at any cost”.

 You can read more about that story here (LINK TO EXPLAINER).

 What was in President Zelensky’s latest message?

 While highlighting the end of winter, President Zelensky also reminded everyone that for those Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories and near the frontlines, the situation remains grim.

 “Now, in most of the territory of our country, where we have managed to provide relative security, you may not feel what life is like for those of our people who live in the border areas with Russia, who live in the south of our country,” he said.

 “Where there is shelling. Where people are not at the front, but still directly at war. Where Russia is constantly trying to destroy everything that people have. Constantly - and this is no exaggeration.”

 Zelensky also yet again hinted at a new Ukrainian counteroffensive, saying: “When we are preparing the actions of our military, all our defense and security forces, we also mean that such actions will gradually return security to those who are now in the frontline zone.”

What’s the latest military situation?

 The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) update on Mar. 2 also focuses on Bakhmut, highlighting the fact that the changing weather is drastically affecting conditions on the ground.

 EMBED: https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1631179745516830720

 The MoD notes: “As Ukrainian forces continue their defence of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, rising temperatures are now creating the muddy conditions known in Ukrainian as ‘bezdorizhzhia’, limiting cross country movement (CCM).

 “Poor CCM typically provides some military advantage to defending forces.

 “It is almost certain that by late-March, CCM will be at its worst following the final thaw. This will add further friction to ground operations and hamper the off-road movement of heavier armoured vehicles, especially over churned-up ground in the Bakhmut sector.”

 The Institute for the Study of War’s Mar. 1 daily assessment covers a multitude of topics, most notably:

·      A New York Times (NYT) investigation into catastrophic Russian losses during the recent Russian offensive near Vuhledar indicates that the Russian military remains unable to rapidly fix the endemic challenges posed by severe personnel and equipment losses.

·      Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a package of 16 documents on March 1 that may facilitate Russian sanctions evasion by channeling Chinese aid to Russia through Belarus.

·      Russian occupation authorities may be attempting to further constrain the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to compel the de facto recognition of Russian ownership of the plant.

 And that’s it for today’s Morning Memo. 

Kyiv Post will bring you the latest news throughout the day and we’ll be back with another edition tomorrow.