Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 03-13-2024

Russian Putin said if the US sent troops to Ukraine, it would be seen as a significant escalation of the war that could give the Kremlin a rationale for doing what once was considered unthinkable.

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday lauded Moscow’s nuclear arsenal and warned that he was ready to employ the weapons if Russia’s sovereignty was threatened.

In an interview with Russian propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov on March 12, the Kremlin Chief said that if the US military were to enter Ukraine, Russia would “treat them as interventionists.”

Ukraine-born, US-based film producer Ihor Lopatonok teamed up with Hollywood director Oliver Stone to create a pair of films that may as well have been written by Putin.

This week Ukrainians scored their first-ever Oscar for the documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” telling the story of journalists covering events in the besieged city in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. While this was a high point and a bright spot for Ukrainian filmmakers, Ukrainians haven’t always had such luck in Hollywood.  

Another Oscar-winner, director Oliver Stone, produced and starred in a film that may as well have been written by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Oleksandr Syrsky said he had visited two brigades "where the situation is gradually becoming more complicated and there is a threat of enemy units advancing deep into our battle formations."

Ukraine's army chief said Wednesday the situation on the battlefield was "difficult" and that Russian forces could be poised to strike deep into Ukrainian lines in the eastern Donetsk region.

Kyiv's forces are on the defensive across the 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front lines in the east and south after Moscow made its first territorial gains in almost a year.

Kyiv launched around 70 kamikaze aircraft mostly against energy infrastructure. Two refineries were badly burned.

Dozens of attack drones swarmed over west Russia on Wednesday to hit infrastructure targets in Kyiv’s most ambitious air assaults to date against its powerful eastern neighbor.

The Ukrainian robot planes aimed mostly at energy infrastructure and in some attacks struck hundreds of kilometers deep into Russia, in a second wave of two days of air raids.  

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

An aid ship carrying 200 tons of food for Gaza left the Larnaca port in Cyprus early Tuesday after being held up for days. It is the first such shipment along a new maritime corridor from Cyprus, which aims to deliver much-needed aid to Gazans. The charity ship Open Arms is towing a barge laden with flour, rice, canned tuna, beans, chicken and other things. The journey is expected to take up to two days. Israel has welcomed the new sea route, but some aid groups have criticized the mission, saying it is too little and ineffective. The operation is part of an effort by the US, European Union, and United Arab Emirates to distribute aid in Gaza as food shortages across the territory steadily worsen. The enclave has been effectively sealed off since Israel began its offensive in response to the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas militants. The United Nations has said food delivered by airdrops cannot replace open land borders - DW

The U.S. is planning to send a number of additional Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine, as part of a new $300 million package of military aid, according to two U.S. officials with knowledge of the discussions. The U.S. will send Kyiv additional Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel, or APAM, missiles, which are an older version of the long-range ATACMS, according to one of the officials. The missiles travel 100 miles and carry warheads containing hundreds of cluster bomblets. The officials were granted anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement - Politico

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said last week his country had raised funds to buy 300,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, lower than the 800,000 initially suggested by the Czech president.

Ukraine said Wednesday it hoped to receive the first batch of artillery shells promised by the Czech Republic soon, as its troops face critical shortages of ammunition on the battlefield.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said last week his country had raised funds to buy 300,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, lower than the 800,000 initially suggested by the Czech president.

Kyiv Post's military intelligence sources confirm that a Russian A-50 long-range radar and control aircraft was damaged after last weekend’s major attack.

Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) sources have confirmed to Kyiv Post that Ukrainian drones that attacked a Russian aviation plant in Taganrog, Russia, on the night of March 9 succeeded in damaging at least one Beriev A-50U AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) aircraft.

At the time, Russia claimed it had prevented a massive drone attack on the city of Taganrog, in the Rostov region.

A fire broke out at one of Germany's largest refugee accommodation centers, positioned at the former Berlin-Tegel airport on Tuesday afternoon, March 12.

Shortly after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany opened its main refugee reception and registration facility in two terminals at the former Tegel Airport in Berlin. At the time of Tuesday’s fire, the center was housing about 4,500 refugees against a planned maximum capacity of 7,000.

Around 100 firefighters attended the scene but were unable to save the construction. A spokesperson for the Berlin Fire Department, said that fire broke out in a workshop attached to a large tent in which around 300 asylum seekers, some of whom are Ukrainian, were housed but, fortunately there were no serious injuries although a small number of occupants were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.

Poland, one of Ukraine's staunchest allies, has repeatedly urged its Western partners to up their spending on military aid as Kyiv fends off a Russian invasion.

The leaders of France, Germany and Poland will hold emergency talks on Ukraine in Berlin on Friday, the Polish prime minister announced following discussions on the war-torn country in Washington.

Poland, one of Ukraine's staunchest allies, has repeatedly urged its Western partners to up their spending on military aid as Kyiv fends off a Russian invasion.

The committee meeting that was supposed to consider amendments to the mobilization draft law was canceled. Some lawmakers accuse the committee of dragging its feet on the controversial bill.

The Ukrainian parliament’s Committee of National Security and Defense meeting, which was supposed to consider amendments to the bill on conscription – which the military said is necessary to pass in order to increase the number of soldiers to defend Ukraine from Russia’s ongoing invasion – on Wednesday, March 13, was canceled.

As lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko, of the European Solidarity party, wrote on his Facebook, the Ukrainian parliament’s (Verkhovna Rada) committee may be intentionally dragging its feet.

Both Polish and Ukrainian authorities have denied earlier claims that Polish protestors, in conjunction with local police, were detaining passengers crossing the border into Poland.

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov’s comments on Monday, where he said bus passengers were “being held without any explanation” on the Polish border, as reported by Kyiv Post. Polish police denied the claims at the time.

Now, however, both Polish and Ukrainian authorities have denied earlier claims that Polish protestors, working with local police, obstructed passengers on buses en route to Poland.

NBU reserves down 4% in February.

Bonds: MoF in no rush to rollover FX debt

Last week, the Ministry of Finance raised only US$62.7m, keeping the FX debt refinancing level YTD almost unchanged vs previous weeks.At last Tuesday's primary auction, the MoF raised above UAH5bn in UAH bonds for the fifth consecutive week. At the same time, the demand for USD-denominated bills was only US$64.2m. The Ministry rejected a small fraction of it due to high rates and attracted US$62.7m. See details in the auction review. With these proceeds, the Ministry refinanced only 45% of the USD-denominated paper redeemed at the end of February.At the same time, trading in FX-denominated bills intensified in the secondary market. The total volume of FX-denominated securities trades increased fourfold to an equivalent of UAH3.8bn last week, and the share of FX-denominated bond trading in the secondary market increased to 51% from 12% a week before. The most traded securities were USD-denominated bills maturing this September (64%) and euro bonds maturing in May 2024 (15% of all FX-denominated bills transactions). Bills maturing this year made up almost 96% in FX-denominated trading.The MoF will redeem UAH16bn of UAH bonds this week, and will offer only UAH instruments tomorrow with maturities of one, two, and three years. The cap is set at UAH4bn for each paper.

This announcement comes one day after the groups claimed to have seized Tyotkino village in Russia’s Kursk region.

Russian volunteer forces fighting alongside Kyiv on Wednesday, March 13, urged civilians to flee Belgorod and Kursk, warning of impending large-scale attacks on military targets in these Russian border cities.

“We call on the local authorities to preserve human lives and begin evacuating the cities of Kursk and Belgorod,”  stated three groups mainly composed of Russian citizens – the Freedom of Russia Legion (LSR), the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), and the Siberian Battalion – in a joint statement.

Along with hitting the Ryazan, Kstovo and Kirishi oil refineries, Ukraine special ops also hit a Russian Air Force base in Buturlinovk and a military airfield in Voronezh overnight March 12-13.

Ukrainian intelligence services (SBU) hit three of Russia’s top five largest oil refineries with drones in overnight attacks March 12-13, a Kyiv Post source confirmed.

The oil refineries were in Ryazan, Kstovo (in the Nizhny Novgorod region), and Kirishi (in the Leningrad region).

Reports suggest the Russian Security Service (FSB) building in Belgorod was targeted by drones, though regional Governor Gladkov mentioned only a general drone attack on the city.

Russian Telegram channels have reported that Belgorod witnessed another drone attack, this time allegedly targeting the headquarters of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB).

Social media posts indicate that the FSB building’s facade was damaged, with broken windows reported. No casualties were reported in this incident.

The blockade has caused long traffic jams on both sides of the border, with drivers stuck for days waiting to cross.

Polish farmers blocking the Dorohusk checkpoint on the border with Ukraine said Wednesday they would allow trucks to cross into Ukraine but would still prevent cargo entering Poland.

Farmers have been blocking checkpoints on the border for over a month to protest an influx of Ukrainian produce, which they complain is depressing prices and taking a toll on their profits.

Kyiv’s “The Big Meet” invites the city for a unique taste of Italy on Friday, March 15 at Milano Torino Vermuteria.

This Friday, The Big Meet is hosting an evening of networking and connection at Milano Torino Vermuteria on March 15 (the Ides of March). In preparation for the event, Kyiv Post met with The Big Meet’s Olga Kearly, along with Sam Aganov the director of the Doctor Sam medical clinic – the organization’s new partner and benefactor of this week’s gathering of locals and expats.

As Kearly highlighted the upcoming event, we learned what a vermuteria is; simply stated, it is to vermouth what a pizzeria is to pizza. She also introduced us to Dr. Sam Aganov, the founder of a modern state-of-the-art clinic that has recently opened in Kyiv. He told us about overcoming difficulties caused by the events ongoing in Ukraine and about the clinic’s plans to grow.

February to March 2023 – residential areas face the brunt of attacks. Kremlin aims to demoralize civilians near front line to undermine support for and morale of the Ukrainian military.

Please find the previous parts of the digest below:

February to March 2022

Russia's rapacious despot seeks to be the new imperial tsar for life.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is running for a fifth term in office this weekend, has over the past two decades built up a system of domestic repression and confrontation with the West that is almost certain to guarantee his re-election.

Ever since the previously little-known KGB agent became president on New Year's Eve 1999, he has consolidated power by bringing oligarchs to heel, banning any real opposition and turning Russia into an authoritarian state.

In the first weeks after Russia’s large-scale invasion, a school basement became a prison for the entire village of Yahidne. A Chernihiv court has just sentenced 15 Russians for war crimes.

The Chernihiv District Court on Monday, March 11, convicted 15 Russian soldiers in absentia of war crimes committed against residents of Yahidne, Suspilne reports.

Less than two weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian soldiers forced 368 civilians, practically the entire population of the village, into the basement of the local school for 27 days, from March 5 to April 1, 2022.

In a non-binding vote on Tuesday (March 12), a majority French MPs supported the bilateral security agreement between Paris and Kyiv.

In a symbolic vote, the National Assembly voted on the security cooperation agreement between France and Ukraine, signed on Feb. 16 at the Elysée by French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The parties on the extreme sides of the hemicycle said “red lines” were crossed and refused to support Macron’s policy in supporting Ukraine’s fight with a long-term military agreement.

Pertinent insights from a stimulating discussion among US and Ukraine experts.

On the same day that 77 percent of Tennessee Republicans were voting in the primary to send Donald Trump back to the White House, two leading US historians addressed an anxious audience at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

They spoke on March 5 against the specter of support for the candidate recently held liable for sexual assault and financial fraud, facing trial for stealing national defense secrets, paying off a porn star to mislead voters, praising and refusing to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin despite the invasion of Ukraine and the murder of Alexei Navalny, and intimidating state officials racketeer-style to change the results of an election he lost.

An exclusive video obtained by the Kyiv Post shows anti-Putin rebels' drones attacked an MLRS, after which a missile from the system descended and pierced the cockpit containing Russian army soldiers.

Kyiv Post's sources in the Ukrainian intelligence services provided an exclusive video showing how a drone of Russian anti-Putin protesters first destroys a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), after which a missile from the system descended and pierced the cabin, which Russian army soldiers occupied.

Biden said the stopgap shipment of missiles, shells and ammunition for Kyiv was "not nearly enough" and would run out in a couple of weeks, leaving Ukraine outgunned by Russian forces.

US President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday a $300 million emergency weapons package to prop up Ukraine while Congress blocks further aid, as Poland's leaders visited the White House to warn of the growing threat from Russia.

Biden said the stopgap shipment of missiles, shells and ammunition for Kyiv was "not nearly enough" and would run out in a couple of weeks, leaving Ukraine outgunned by Russian President Vladimir Putin's invading forces.

Kyiv Post’s new overnight supplement to War in Ukraine Update for March 13.

Pentagon to send $300 million more worth of weaponry to Kyiv

The US Defense Department announced on March 12 that it is sending about $300 million worth of munitions to Ukraine that it has found in its contracts that have saved money, said National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, as cited by the Public Broadcasting Service’s (PBS) News Hour program.

Drone strikes targeted Russia's oil refineries for the second day in a row on Wednesday, with one sparking a fire and injuring several people after it struck a facility in the Ryazan region.

Drone strikes targeted Russia's oil refineries for the second day in a row on Wednesday, with one sparking a fire and injuring several people after it struck a facility in the Ryazan region, officials said.

"The Ryazan oil refinery was attacked by a drone," Pavel Malkov, the governor of the Ryazan region that lies some 200 kilometres (120 miles) southeast of Moscow, wrote on Telegram.