Saturday, March 23

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The aftermath of a Russian strike on the Dnipro Dam in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on March 22, 2024. Russia overnight launched its largest attack against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the beginning of the full-scale war. (Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal/Telegram)

Almost 1.5 million people suffer outages following Russia’s ‘largest attack’ on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russia launched over 150 drones and missiles against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure in what has been called “the largest mass attack on Ukraine’s energy grid” throughout the full-scale war.

Ukrhydroenergo: One station of Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant in critical state. “We do not know to what extent the HPS-2 would operate (after the attack),” Syrota said, adding that HPS-1 also does not work as of around 10:00 a.m. local time on March 22.

White House condemns ‘brutal strikes’ against Ukraine, calls for more air defense. The White House on March 22 condemned Russia’s “brutal strikes overnight against Ukraine’s cities and civilian infrastructure,” after a series of attacks killed at least five people and left almost 1.5 million people without electricity.

ISW: Russia hopes to collapse Ukraine’s energy grid amid air defense shortage.

“Russian strikes on energy infrastructure in early Spring 2024 likely aim to collapse the energy grid in part to stall Ukrainian efforts to rapidly expand its (defense-industrial base),” the ISW said.

Commander: Russia gathers 100,000-strong force, possibly for summer offensive. Russian troops are creating a force of 100,000 soldiers, possibly to conduct an offensive in early summer, Ukraine’s Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Pavliuk said on national television on March 22.

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Deputy PM says Russian oil refineries are ‘legitimate targets’ after alleged US warning. The oil refineries in Russia that have been attacked by Ukraine are “absolutely legitimate targets” from a military point of view, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said at the Kyiv Security Forum on March 22.

Fire breaks out at Russia’s Kuibyshev oil refinery. A fire broke out at the Kiubyshev oil refinery in Russia’s Samara Oblast overnight on March 23, Russian media outlets claimed.

Military Intelligence: Anti-Kremlin militias’ raid thwarts Russia’s plans for potential new attack. The recent incursion into Russia by Russian anti-Kremlin militias made Moscow “change plans” on a possible new attack in Ukraine’s northern sector, Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson of Ukraine’s military Intelligence told the Kyiv Independent on March 22.

Kremlin admits Russia ‘de facto’ at war, calls Ukraine ‘occupying force.’ Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later clarified his words, saying that “de jure” it remained a “military operation,” but “de facto” had become a war.

UK Defense Ministry: First 10 Ukrainian pilots complete RAF flight training. According to the U.K. Defense Ministry’s report, the cohort completed basic training and will move to advanced flying training provided by the French Air Force before learning to fly F-16 fighter jets.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Russia hits Ukraine’s largest Hydroelectric Power Plant, kills civilians

“The enemy launched one of the largest attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector in recent weeks,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. “The goal is not just to damage it, but, just like last year, to cause a large-scale disruption in the country’s energy system.”

Photo: Denys Shmyhal / Telegram

War Crimes Investigations Unit: Is Russia committing genocide in Ukraine?

A regular theme of Russian propaganda is the need to “erase the Ukrainian nation,” and murdering those who don’t agree to become Russian.The Kyiv Independent’s new documentary “Destroy, in Whole or in Part,” tries to answer the question – do Russian actions in Ukraine constitute genocide?

Photo: Dmytro Koval / Facebook

Ukraine’s ‘angels’ who look after, evacuate civilians in front-line Donbas

The White Angels frequently return to Torske, now directly in the line of Russia’s offensives following its capture of Avdiivka, to see if anyone left behind has changed their mind about staying.

Photo: Alexander Khrebet / The Kyiv Independent

Russia’s war effort may not be as formidable as it looks

Russia’s war machine has shown remarkable stamina despite the hundreds of thousands of troops it is estimated to have lost in Ukraine. But under the hood, it may be less resilient than it looks.

Photo: Alexander Manzyuk/Anadolu Agency

Human cost of war

3 killed, 29 injured in Zaporizhzhia as rescue operations conclude. Search and rescue operations at the sites of a Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia on March 22 have ended, the State Emergency Service reported. The attack killed three people and injured 29.

Russian attacks on Chernihiv, Kherson oblasts kill 1, injure 3. Russian troops struck Chernihiv and Kherson oblasts, killing one person and injuring at least three, local authorities reported on March 22.

Russia claims 1 killed, 2 injured in Ukrainian rocket attack on Belgorod.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces downed eight projectiles launched from the RM-70 Vampire rocket launcher against Belgorod Oblast at around 7:30 a.m. local time.

General Staff: Russia has lost 434,710 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 870 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

Opinions and insights

Danylo Mokryk: Say the word ‘genocide’

“It’s not surprising that some Western politicians and officials not only avoid using the term to describe Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine today but also outright deny that it is taking place. The term is often extremely undesirable for politicians as it imposes a certain pressure to act,” writes Danylo Mokryk, a  Kyiv Independent investigative reporter.

Photo: Pierre Crom/Getty Images

The Counteroffensive: Russia’s rising chemical weapons use in Ukraine

“Earlier this month, the Ukrainian military claimed that Russia has used chemical weapons 1,068 times since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began two years ago. This includes allegations that Russia used chloroacetophenone, a chemical comparable to tear gas but with higher toxicity,” writes The Counteroffensive’s Tim Mak.

Photo: Pavlo Kyrylenko/Telegram

International response

EU moves toward plan to use profits from frozen Russian assets for arms for Ukraine. “I am confident that we can act very quickly,” said European Council President Charles Michel.

Reuters: France, Germany reportedly oppose using bonds to maximize profits from frozen Russian assets. At the same time, the EU moved closer on March 21 to finalizing a plan to use 90% of the profits generated from the frozen funds to purchase weapons for Kyiv and allocate the remaining 10% to the EU budget to support Ukraine’s defense industry.

European Council urges swift adoption of Ukraine’s negotiation framework.

The European Council urged EU leaders to “swiftly adopt” the negotiating frameworks for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova after the first day of the Euro Summit on March 21.

European Commission proposes tariffs on Russian, Belarusian grain. The measure would impose a 95 euro ($103) per ton on corn and wheat, as opposed to zero tariffs imposed today, Business Insider reported. Other products, namely oilseeds, would be subject to an “ad valorem duty” of 50%.

UK announces more air defense systems, surveillance drones for Ukraine. The U.K. has announced a further 60 million pounds ($75.5 million) in military aid for Ukraine that will provide new surveillance drones and air defense systems, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on March 22.

Bloomberg: Germany allocates $325 million to Czech-led initiative for Ukraine. Berlin has pledged 300 million euros ($325 million) to a Czech-led initiative to provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, Bloomberg reported on March 21, citing people familiar with the decision.

Dutch PM: Ukraine to get large amount of shells ‘in the near future.’ A large amount of ammunition will be sent to Ukraine “in the near future” within the Czech-led initiative to provide Kyiv with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on March 22.

Media: Czechia sends Ukraine its last Soviet Mi-24 helicopters. This is the third time Czechia has supplied Ukraine with helicopters. Prague sent four Mi-24 helicopters in July 2022 and then sent more in July 2023 without specifying the numbers and models.

FT: US reportedly tells Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries. The sources told the Financial Times that the U.S. is concerned Russia could potentially retaliate by striking energy infrastructure used by the West, which could result in higher energy prices globally.

In other news

Over 60 killed in mass shooting at Moscow concert hall. According to the most recent reports, 60 people were killed and more than 140 wounded after gunmen opened fire at a concert venue in Moscow on March 22.

Islamic State claims responsibility for Moscow terrorist attack. The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the mass shooting at a concert hall in Moscow on March 22 that has left at least 60 people dead.

European Council sanctions 33 people over ‘slow killing’ of Alexei Navalny. The European Council has sanctioned 33 people and two entities over the death of former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last month, it was announced on March 22.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Hodunova, Teah Pelechaty, Kateryna Denisova, Chris York, Oleksiy Sorokin, Abbey Fenbert, and Olena Goncharova.

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