Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 03-26-2024

The dust has yet to settle, and we are still no wiser as to what happened and why. Particularly puzzling is the absence of Moscow’s normally stringent security measures, before, during and after.

The March 22 attack on Moscow’s Crocus Concert Hall was the worst terrorist atrocity carried out in Europe by the Islamic State, leaving 139 dead and 182 injured at the time of writing.

An event of such magnitude and violence has raised questions as to how it could happen in the first place, in a country like Russia which has a reputation as a “police state,” exercising a great deal of control over citizens’ lives.

According to a Ministry of Defense official, new recruitment efforts are getting a huge response, with over 11,000 people applying to 1,000 vacancies in one week.

Since Ukrainians’ willingness to sacrifice everything, including their lives, for Western-style liberal democracy, has been a hallmark of modern Ukraine’s history, it’s no surprise that Kyiv has been loath to enact legislation that bears any hints of the old Soviet authoritarianism – particularly something like the so-called “press gang” approach, in which men are forced into military service.

Nevertheless, many of the thousands of volunteers who lined up for hours in queues at mobilization offices in the first days of Russia’s full-scale February 2022 invasion – who haven’t been killed – now need relief after two years of battling against the Kremlin’s vastly larger well of forces.

Zelensky appointed Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, to replace Oleksiy Danilov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) Oleksiy Danilov and replaced him with the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.

The decree was posted on the president’s website on Tuesday, March 26.

Lev Parnas gives first-hand insight into what really occurred in the Trump White House - and why anyone who cares about Ukraine should be paying attention.

Belarusian president embarrasses Moscow by contradicting its version about the escape route of the terrorists responsible for last week's mass killing.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday the attackers who carried out last week's massacre at a Moscow concert hall tried fleeing to his country first, but turned away because of checkpoints.

"That's why there was no way they could enter Belarus. They saw that. That's why they turned away and went to the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border," Lukashenko said, contradicting Russia's claim they tried crossing into Ukraine first.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “peculiar kind of Jew” while attempting to link an Islamic State (IS)-claimed terrorist attack with Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “peculiar kind of Jew” on Tuesday when he attempted to establish a link between the terrorist attack in Moscow, which was claimed by the Islamic State group (IS) with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – where Moscow has itself been repeatedly accused of committing acts of terror.

“Well, there is a peculiar kind of Jew over there,” Peskov said in response to inquiries about how Zelensky, who is Jewish, could be associated with the attack.

As opposed to Washington’s concern, Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries are not driving up crude prices, and the answer might ultimately lie in the restructuring of price caps and embargo.

Since the beginning of this year, Ukraine has hit more than ten major oil refineries and depots, some of them more than once. 

This appears to be causing disruptions inside Russia, and consternation at the White House, which, according to a source at Financial Times, has called on Kyiv to cease such attacks for fear of raising global oil prices. Kyiv has rejected such demands, declaring that Ukraine has “an absolute right to deplete the Russian army,” according to the Daily Wrap.

The bond market reacts to NBU key rate cut.

At the primary auction, the MoF lowered interest rates for UAH bonds by 20‒30bp following NBU’s surprise cut in key rates a week before. YTMs in the secondary market also declined.The MoF borrowed UAH16.3bn (US$419m) last week, including UAH10.5bn (US$269m) in local currency. Demand for UAH bonds doubled compared with the week before, accompanied by a decline in interest rates in most bids.

Expectations of a decline in bond rates were high last week after the NBU cut its key rate and the rate on ON CDs by 50bp to 14.5% and the rate on three-month CDs by 150bp to 17.5%. Demand significantly exceeded the cap for 12-month and two-year securities, so the MoF only accepted bids with the lowest rates and decreased cut-off and weighted-average rates by 30bp and 25bp, respectively. The rates for three-year notes were down by 20bp. Investors also purchased USD-denominated bills without changes in interest rates. See details in the auction review.

Russia may be a military dictatorship and armed to the teeth, but it struggles against Ukraine and fails to protect its homeland, the author writes.

Russia may be a military dictatorship and armed to the teeth, but it struggles against Ukraine and fails to protect its homeland. Border incursions increase, and on March 22 terrorists killed 137 and wounded more than 100 more at a Moscow theater. The atrocity was not the work of madmen nor of Ukrainian operatives. It was sectarian violence and growing evidence that the country unravels ethnically as well as politically.

The gunmen were avenging Russia’s slaughters of Muslims in Syria and Afghanistan. In January, the largest anti-war protest was about Russia’s exploitation of its Turkic regions where Putin recruits a disproportionate share of Muslim young men as “cannon fodder.” These incidents occurred just nine months after oligarch Evgeny Prigozhin marched 20,000 mercenaries toward Moscow to violently overthrow its substandard military leadership.

Russian authorities had designated international LGBT organizations as “terrorist.” As the attack on Crocus City Hall demonstrated, his choices have nothing to do with actual threats facing Russians.

This past Friday, 22 March, a horrifying terrorist attack took place in Crocus City Hall in the outskirts of Moscow.  Islamic State plausibly claimed responsibility.

Earlier that day, Russian authorities had designated international LGBT organizations as “terrorist.” Also earlier that day, Russia had carried out massive terror attacks on Ukrainian cities. Those actions reveal the enemies Putin has chosen. As the attack on Crocus City Hall demonstrated, his choices have nothing to do with actual threats facing Russians.

Despite President Vladimir Putin’s acknowledgment of “radical Islamists” perpetrating the attack, Russia continues to point fingers at Ukraine, alleging its involvement.

The head of Russia’s FSB security agency, Alexander Bortnikov, said Tuesday that Western and Ukrainian intelligence aided the assailants in the recent Moscow concert hall attack, which claimed numerous lives.

Despite President Vladimir Putin’s acknowledgment of “radical Islamists” perpetrating the attack, Russia continues to point fingers at Ukraine, alleging its involvement.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal highlights that the funds will support essential budget expenditures and uphold macro-financial stability.

Ukraine has received $880 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal on Telegram.

This marks the third tranche of financial support within the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program.

The court's press service said the latest suspect to be remanded was a man originally from the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan.

A Russian court on Tuesday remanded an eighth suspect in custody over the attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed at least 139 people, officials said.

Moscow earlier announced it had detained 11 people in connection with the attack, which saw camouflaged gunmen storm into Crocus City Hall, open fire on concert-goers and set the building ablaze.

Recent anonymous insights from sources close to the Kremlin suggest that Russian political elites believe that Vladimir Putin is weighing two potential strategies to conclude the war in Ukraine.

Recent reports from sources close to the Kremlin suggest that Russian political elites believe that Vladimir Putin is weighing two potential strategies to conclude the war in Ukraine.

Insights gathered by Meduza from individuals linked to the Russian government suggest that almost everyone is sure that the Kremlin chief will continue waging war. However, their assessments of what goals he is currently setting for his “special military operation” differ.

Ukrainian Naval Forces report hitting four Russian military ships, including Yamal, Azov, Ivan Khurs, and Kostiantyn Olshansky, during the March 23 strikes in Crimea.

Kyiv’s naval forces targeted the Kostyantyn Olshansky, a formerly Ukrainian amphibious assault ship, using the Neptune missile system, as revealed by the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Naval Forces (VMS) during an interview on the FREEDOM TV channel.

The VMS spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk, said that this vessel was a large Ukrainian amphibious assault ship seized by Russian troops back in 2014 during the occupation of Crimea and was now reportedly intended for use against Ukraine.

Ukraine’s President met with Crimean Tatar and other Muslim community leaders to break the Ramadan fast with a ceremonial meal and give awards to soldiers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accompanied by Ukrainian Muslim servicemen, leaders of the Mejlis [highest executive-representative body] of the Crimean Tatar people, and Muslim community representatives, participated in an iftar, the fast-breaking evening meal during the holy month of Ramadan.

Held at the Religious Administration of Muslims of Crimea, the iftar continued a tradition initiated by Zelensky in 2023, aiming to foster unity amid challenging times, particularly amidst ongoing war.

Friday's attack in Moscow, which killed 139 people and was claimed by the Islamic State in Khorasan (IS-K) in Afghanistan, Tajikistan’s neighbour that regularly supplies fighters to IS.

The alleged involvement of four Tajiks in a deadly attack in Moscow has shaken Tajik society, highlighting the risks posed by Central Asia's jihadist legacy.

The region's five former Soviet republics, led by Tajikistan, have had thousands of their citizens going to Syria and Iraq in the 2010s to fight for the Islamic State group (IS).

ISIS-K emerged due to the confluence of three conflicts in an arc of instability from Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, which ultimately reached Moscow.

In August 2021, I wrote an essay for Al-Jazeera, “The threat of ISKP in Afghanistan has been underestimated.” The tragic culmination of this prediction unfolded during the night of March 22, after an attack on a Moscow music hall killed more than 100 people, an attack conducted by the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), otherwise known as ISIS-K, the Afghanistan affiliate of ISIS.

The Kremlin and some Russian lawmakers were quick to accuse Ukraine, but ISIS-K not only claimed responsibility for the attack, but targeting concert halls is its modus operandi, such as its parent organization ISIS’s attack on a Paris concert in November 2015.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, and eleven suspects have been detained. Putin has alleged that Ukrainians had a hand in the massacre, which Kyiv denies.

A terrorist attack in which almost 140 people were killed was carried out near Moscow on Friday. Several attackers broke into the Crocus City Hall event centre, where they gunned down concertgoers and set the building on fire. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, and eleven suspects have been detained. President Putin has alleged that Ukrainians had a hand in the massacre, which Kyiv denies.

Putin's regime has shown its weak side

Polityka comments:

Moscow has made a number of gains on the frontline in recent months, pressing their advantage as Kyiv struggles with shortages of vital munitions from its Western allies.

Ukrainian forces face a "difficult" situation around the eastern city of Chasіv Yar as Russia focuses its offensive there, a Ukrainian army official said Monday.

Moscow has made a number of gains on the frontline in recent months, pressing their advantage as Kyiv struggles with shortages of vital munitions from its Western allies.

Islamic State jihadists have said several times since Friday that they were responsible, and IS-affiliated media channels have published graphic videos of the gunmen inside the venue.

President Vladimir Putin on Monday acknowledged for the first time that "radical Islamists" were behind last week's attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, but suggested they were linked to Ukraine somehow.

Eleven people have been detained in connection with the attack, which saw camouflaged gunmen storm into Crocus City Hall, open fire on concert-goers and set the building ablaze, killing at least 139 people.

A review of Sylvie Kauffmann’s book “The Blindsided” – a magnificent, detailed and well-documented condemnation of Germany and France'’ Russia policy over the last two decades.

Sylvie Kauffmann, long-time foreign correspondent and former editor of Le Monde has written a magnificently critical and penetrating book, Les Aveuglés (The Blindsided), about how Germany and France got everything wrong about Putin and Russia for the last quarter of a century.

Kauffmann has benefited from a vast experience covering Russian, American and European foreign policy. In the mid-1980s she was a correspondent in Moscow.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The March 22 Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall is a notable Russian intelligence and law enforcement failure, and explaining currently available open-source evidence does not require any wider and more complicated conspiracy theory either within or against the Russian state.
• Kremlin officials’ and Russian ultranationalists’ continued insistence on blaming Ukraine for an attack that IS-K very likely committed may come at the expense of Russian internal security and civilian lives.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) confirmed that Lieutenant General Esedulla Abachev became the Leningrad Military District (LMD) Deputy Commander as the Russian military continues the formal disbandment of the Western Military District (WMD) and recreation of the LMD and Moscow Military District (MMD).
• Ukrainian officials stated that the Ukrainian strike on occupied Sevastopol, Crimea on the night of March 23 targeted more Black Sea Fleet (BSF) ships and caused more damage than initially reported.
• The Kremlin continues to lean on long debunked narratives as part of its wider information operations aimed at discrediting and undermining Western support for Ukraine.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Avdiivka on March 25.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the break-up of the USSR led Western countries to largely forget Plato’s dictum that he who “desires peace must prepare for war,” that may soon have to change.

The presidents of Latvia and Estonia, speaking to the Financial Times, say Europe must better prepare for what they see as an inevitable military confrontation with Russia by dramatically increasing defense spending, introducing a “defense tax” and a return to conscription.

Edgars Rinkēvičs, Latvia’s head of state, said that NATO’s European countries will have to return to “Cold War-era spending” levels and reintroduce compulsory military service to ensure the necessary numbers of trained manpower are available to defend the Alliance.