Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 03-28-2024

“My uncle used to say ... that the best manure salesmen often carry their samples in their mouths,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday.

Russia said Thursday it had evidence the perpetrators of last week's massacre at a concert hall outside Moscow were linked to “Ukrainian nationalists,” a claim that the United States called nonsense.

President Vladimir Putin and his security services continue to allege Kyiv and the West were involved somehow in last Friday's attack, despite an Islamic State affiliate having claimed responsibility.

Among the problems are no clear leadership among the Polish farmers and the Russian influence at the grassroots level.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk hailed his Thursday meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal as a “step forward” as the allied countries attempt to bridge differences over farm imports and border blockades by Polish farmers that have frayed ties between the two countries.

That said, Tusk will likely have a challenging task ahead of him if he wishes to satisfy the demands of the protesting Polish farmers. 

As the Kremlin said President Putin had no plans to visit either the site or the victims of Friday’s attack, the actor who is one of his admirers did.

Russia’s Ministry of Health has posted photos of the former US actor Steven Seagal visiting victims of the Islamic State terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall at the Pirogov National Medical and Surgical Center in Moscow on Thursday.

Seagal, who was granted Russian citizenship in November 2016 and who once called Vladimir Putin “one of the great living world leaders,” said, “What happened was a terrible tragedy that should not have happened.”

Russia, in league with China, Iran, North Korea, and bands of criminal organizations, actively is seeking to attack not only Ukraine - but the collective West.

Regardless of who was behind the attack – be they jihadist terrorists or FSB operatives – the very fact that it happened bodes ill for Russia’s internal security.

Last week’s terrorist attack in Moscow was the worst to have been committed by the Islamic State in Europe, leaving many dead and injured.

ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack via the “Amaq News Agency,” which is linked to the terrorist organization. It published photos allegedly showing the four men behind the attacks.

Moscow is to upgrade its Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles to enable them to strike Ukrainian cities with greater accuracy according to Russia’s state-run media TASS.

Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Thursday, March 28 that it intends to upgrade the Oniks missile with new active homing devices, which it says will allow Moscow’s military to take on Ukrainian ground targets with greater precision, according to a source in Russia’s defense industry.

The P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship cruise missile (NATO: SS-N-26 Strobile) was designed in the 1980s, developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the Reutov-based Tactical Missiles Corporation in the 1990s before being accepted into service in 2002. Russian forces have used the missile to attack ground targets both during its war with Ukraine and on operations in Syria.

Poland, a strong supporter of Ukraine against the Russian invasion, faces economic tensions over Ukrainian imports, worrying farmers about local prices.

Poland's prime minister on Thursday hailed the progress made in talks with Ukraine on farm imports and border blockades by Polish farmers that had frayed ties between the neighboring allies.

Poland has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine as it fights off a Russian invasion, but their relations have soured over the past months over economic disputes, with farmers complaining that imports from Ukraine have undercut prices for their own produce.

Sources within the Ukrainian partisan movement told Kyiv Post that Russian special services have been conducting large-scale measures to discredit pro-Ukrainian movements, including Atesh.

Agents of the Atesh guerrilla movement have been closely monitoring the situation in Russian-occupied Crimea and said that the Kremlin continues to build up troops there, even preparing to repulse Ukrainian sabotage-reconnaissance groups (DRG) in Sevastopol.

“Atesh continues to monitor the movement of Russian occupying troops in Crimea,” the partisans posted on their Telegram channel.

Less than a minute after the air raid warning went out in Kyiv on March 25 the capital was hit by two Tsirkon (Zircon) missiles fired from Crimea – were they truly hypersonic after all?

Russia’s acclaimed 3M22 Tsirkon hypersonic missile was fired in anger for the first time as part of a 40-plus-strong missile attack on Ukraine on Wednesday, Feb 7. The missile was shot down over Kyiv by Ukrainian air defenses on that occasion and analysis of its flight profile and examination of the missile remnants cast doubt over Russia’s claims of its performance and capability as a hypervelocity weapon - the accepted definition of which means one that flies more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5).

The same conclusions could be drawn over the second use of the missiles that hit Kyiv on Monday, March 25, one of which was shot down by a Ukrainian air defense asset, probably an MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM). Technical examination of this missile cast further doubt on it being a true hypersonic weapon and its destructive capability.

Bond rates continue to decline.

After the NBU decreased its key rate and rates for CDs earlier this month, yesterday, the MoF used the opportunity to cut interest rates for UAH bonds once more. The decline in rates yesterday was moderate, and less significant than a week ago.Demand for a new issue of one-year paper declined by a third from last week, to UAH5.8bn (US$147m) in 26 bids with interest rates ranging from 16.12% to 16.45%.

The most conservative demand was just 1bp lower than the weighted-average rate last week, but most of the demand had lower rates. The MoF rejected only one bid and distributed the cap as following: 30% or UAH1.2bn of the offered amount was sold by non-competitive bids (partially in proportion to the bid size), competitive bids with rates lower than 16.35% were accepted fully, and the rest of the cap was used to satisfy bids with the cut-off rate (partially in proportion to the bid size).

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

An increase in beatings, vandalism and episodes of racism against Central Asian migrants has been reported in Russia since the deadly attacks at Moscow's Crocus City Hall last Friday. Four Tajik nationals have been accused of killing 140 people in the attack, claimed by jihadist group Islamic State. Several other suspects have been arrested, all of Central Asian origin. Forecasting a rise in tensions in the aftermath of the Moscow murders, the embassy of Tajikistan in Russia warned its citizens at the weekend not to leave their homes unless necessary. Central Asian migrants make up a sizeable proportion of Russia's migrant labour population, particularly in the retail, transportation and construction sectors. Many already experience high levels of discrimination. They are "often confronted with broad social xenophobia that sees them as something of an underclass," Prof Edward Lemon of Texas A&M University told the BBC - BBC

Russia has increased gasoline imports from neighbouring Belarus in March to tackle the risk of shortages in its domestic market because of unscheduled repairs at Russian refineries after drone attacks, four industry and trade sources said on Wednesday. Usually Russia is a net exporter of fuel and a supplier to international markets, but the disruption of Russian refining has forced oil companies to import. Already Russia banned gasoline exports from March 1 to try to secure enough fuel for its domestic market after repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries since the start of the year. Russia normally imports very little fuel from Belarus, although it turned to it last August-to-October, when it faced fuel shortages that led to a rapid rise in gasoline prices and prompted another oil product export ban. - Reuters

Ukraine’s last official government-level visit to India was made by the then Foreign Minister, Pavlo Klimkin, in 2017 during the presidency of Petro Poroshenko.

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba wrote on X that he had begun a two-day working visit to New Delhi on Thursday in response to an invitation from his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

“Ukrainian-Indian cooperation is important, and we will be reinvigorating ties. Building on the dialogue between President Zelensky and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will pay specific attention to the Peace Formula,” Kuleba said.

On Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed his counterpart Denys Shmygal to Warsaw, with Ukrainian flags hoisted outside the seat of government.

Poland's prime minister on Thursday hosted his Ukrainian counterpart for long-awaited talks designed to ease friction over Ukrainian farm imports and border blockades by disgruntled Polish farmers.

Poland has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine as it fights off a Russian invasion, but ties have soured over the past months over economic disputes, with farmers complaining that imports from Ukraine have undercut prices for their own produce.

Minister Miller stated his decision not to prolong the emergency visa program beyond the current deadline, which requires prospective applicants to arrive in Canada by the end of the month.

Canada's emergency visa program for Ukrainians seeking refuge from the ongoing war will not be extended, reports The Globe & Mail, citing Immigration Minister Mark Miller.

Minister Miller stated his decision not to prolong the emergency visa program beyond the current deadline, which requires prospective applicants to arrive in Canada by the end of the month, as outlined in the article.

The Kyiv City Military Administration acknowledges the risks posed by Russian sabotage-reconnaissance groups and hostile elements aiming to destabilize the city.

The head of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA), Serhiy Popko, has raised concerns about the threat of Russian sabotage-reconnaissance groups (DRG) attempting to infiltrate the city, as revealed by the KMVA via Telegram.

A meeting of the City Defense Council was convened in response to recent statements by Russian leaders, signaling an intention to escalate missile attacks targeting civilian objects and residents of Ukraine and Kyiv in particular.

Who and what are the Islamic State and why did it carry out the recent terrorist attack in Moscow.

139 Russians are known to have died in the worst terrorist attack for two decades on the Russian soil, perpetrated on 22 March in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

The Islamic State has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, praising the “Islamic fighters” who carried it out and it has repeated its claim after the Kremlin had started accusing solely Ukraine for sponsoring it, an outrageously unfounded statement. Moscow’s stubborn denial to recognize the hand of the Islamic State in the terrorist attack might exacerbate their hatred towards Russia for stealing their “victory” from them and lead to more acts of terrorism in retaliation.

For around ten days in mid-March, Russian bombs, shells and rockets rained down on the village and others along the frontier.

Wandering among the ruins, Svitlana Zavaly was searching desperately for anything that could be salvaged from the rubble of her home destroyed by a Russian bomb in north-east Ukraine.

"We've got nothing left," said the 67-year-old resident of the village of Velyka Pysarivka that lies just five kilometres (three miles) from the Russian border.

Kyrylo Budanov divulged intelligence indicating the Kremlin was aware of the routes through which the terrorists intended to enter Russia, raising questions as to why they were not stopped.

Russian special services were aware of the impending terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall well in advance, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), said Wednesday, March 27, speaking at the Third International Forum on Strategic Communications.

"At least on Feb. 15, 2024, Russia knew about the preparations. I'll tell you more. This information was obtained through the group's intelligence directorate in Syria," Budanov said.

Russia regularly launches air attacks on Ukraine overnight and has escalated the strikes over the past few weeks, targeting key infrastructure, including power stations.

Ukraine downed 26 drones overnight as Russia launched its latest salvo of aerial attacks, a senior Ukrainian military official said on Thursday.

"On the night of March 28, 2024, the enemy launched a missile air strike against Ukraine using three Kh-22 cruise missiles and an Kh-31P anti-radar missile (from the Black Sea), an S-300 anti-aircraft guided missile (Donetsk) and 28 attack UAVs of the 'Shahed-136/131' type", Mykola Oleshchuk, the head of Ukraine's air force, wrote on Telegram.

Germany’s ruling Social Democrats are edging towards a rift over Ukraine policy as a group of historians within the party denounced Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s “ambiguous rhetoric” towards Russia.

Germany’s ruling Social Democrats are edging towards a rift over the government’s Ukraine policy as a group of notable historians within the party denounced Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s “ambiguous rhetoric” towards Russia.

Some Social Democrats fear that Scholz’s emphasis on keeping Germany out of the war by refusing to send Taurus long-range missiles to Kyiv has turned into a revival of the party’s former dovish approach to Russia.

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, met with North Korea's State Security Minister Ri Chang Dae during his visit on March 25-27.

Russia's spy chief visited Pyongyang earlier this week to discuss security cooperation, North Korea's state news agency reported Thursday, as the historical allies deepen ties amid Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, met with North Korea's State Security Minister Ri Chang Dae during his visit on March 25-27.

There are none so blind as those who will not see – English proverb. In President Putin’s case he can’t or won’t see anything beyond his hatred for all things Ukrainian.

In the five days since gunmen killed at least 139 people, the deadliest terrorist attack on Russian soil in 20 years, the evidence continues to mount that the dreadful March 22 attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall was planned, orchestrated, and carried out by the so-called Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militants.

Despite the evidence, Vladimir Putin and his sidekicks – Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council; Alexander Bortnikov, Head of the Federal Security Service (FSB); Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Press Secretary and the rest – are intent on pointing the finger at Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Wild Hornets charitable foundation, which produces FPV drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, says it has developed an affordable solution for nighttime attack drone operations.

A Ukrainian group of strike drone operators shared a video on Facebook that showcased the operation of Ukrainian-engineered, night vision equipped, first person view (FPV) drones, targeting a Russian tank and positions.

The charitable foundation Wild Hornets, which is involved in the production of FPV drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), has developed a cost-effective solution for nighttime operations for its FPV drones.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) released its 38th report on the human rights situation in Ukraine on March 26, confirming several of ISW’s longstanding assessments about Russia’s systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in occupied territories and towards Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).
• Russian officials are tying the US and the West to a broader set of “terrorist” attacks against Russia following the Crocus City Hall attack, likely to intensify rhetoric about alleged Western and Ukrainian threats to generate greater domestic support for the war in Ukraine.
• Russian authorities are increasing legal pressure against migrants in Russia following recent Russian officials’ proposals for harsher measures against migrant communities in response to the March 22 Crocus City Hall attack.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Avdiivka and southwest of Donetsk City on March 27.
• Russian Storm-Z personnel continue to complain about their poor treatment by the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) as the MoD tries to posture efficacy in its force generation and social benefit allocation system.