Friday, March 8

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A member of a Ukrainian “Leleka” reconnaissance drone unit from the 80th Air Assault Brigade shows a photograph of a previous successful strike on Russian forces at a position in Donbas. Drones have been an essential part of warfare since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb, 24, 2022. (Laurel Chor/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Biden: We will not walk away from Ukraine. Congress needs to stand up to Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden said during the annual State of the Union address on March 7. “I say this to Congress,” Biden announced. “We have to stand up to Putin. Send me a bipartisan natural security bill. History is watching.”

US Treasury Secretary: Congressional inaction on Ukraine aid is ’gift’ to Putin. “As the House continues to stall, Russia is gaining ground and Ukraine is being forced to ration ammunition and supplies,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on March 7.

Border guards stop Russian sabotage group in Sumy Oblast. Ukrainian border guards defended against a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group in Sumy Oblast overnight, the State Border Guard Service reported on Telegram on March 7.

Governor announces mandatory evacuation from near Kupiansk. Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on March 7 that local authorities would conduct mandatory evacuation of residents living in communities near Kupiansk.

Zelensky to meet Erdogan in Turkey on March 8. President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 8 in Turkey, the Turkish Presidency said on X. The two leaders will discuss Russia’s war, the Black Sea grain deal, and bilateral relations, according to the announcement.

Zaluzhnyi appointed as Ukrainian ambassador to UK. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief, has been approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky to be the next Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K., Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry announced on March 7.

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Military: Russian forces intensify attacks near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Russian forces began more active in the Orikhiv direction in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, attempting to cut off the Robotyne salient, said Dmytro Lykhovii, a spokesperson of the Tavria group of forces, on March 7.

Zelensky signs decree on transferring some conscripts to reserve in spring 2024. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on March 7 ordering to transfer some conscripts of compulsory basic military service to the reserve in the spring of 2024.

Russia summons US ambassador, threatens diplomats with expulsion. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on March 7 that it had summoned U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy, and warned against “attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation,” ahead of Russia’s presidential election.

US Democratic congressmen open investigation into Musk’s SpaceX, Russian alleged usage of Starlink. The letter by congressmen Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia warned SpaceX’s president, Gwynne Shotwell, that the alleged use of Starlink by Russian forces represented “a serious threat to Ukraine’s security, Ukrainian lives, and U.S. national security.”

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Allies collect funding to purchase 800,000 shells for Ukraine, Czech PM says

Prague launched its military aid initiative in February, as it had found 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative.

Photo: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russia attacks 11 communities in Sumy Oblast, injuring 1. Russian forces fired at the Sumy Oblast border 32 times on March 7, striking 11 communities, the regional military administration reported. A civilian was injured in Sumy as a result of shelling.

Governor: 4 people hospitalized after Russian missile strike on Sumy. “Nearly 10 people” were injured, with four of them hospitalized, in Russia’s missile strike against Sumy on March 7, Sumy Oblast Governor Volodymyr Artiukh said on television.

Russian bombing in Kharkiv Oblast kills 1, injures 1. A 40-year-old woman was killed after the guided aerial bomb directly struck her home, and a 67-year-old woman suffered light injuries and did not need to be hospitalized, Governor Oleh Synehiubov said.

Russian attack on Kupiansk kills 2. Russian forces struck Kupiansk with multiple rocket launchers on March 7, killing a man and a woman, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

Russian airstrike on Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast wounds 3. A Russian airstrike on Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast wounded three civilians, the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported on March 7.

International response

Lithuania transfers 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced the transfer of 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine on March 7. Artillery shells are among the most crucial military supplies for Kyiv, as they are used daily in high numbers on the Ukrainian battlefields.

US House may start gathering signatures to bypass speaker on Ukraine aid. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick said he keeps working with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office to hold a vote through regular channels but will start collecting signatures to bypass the speaker if he does not comply.

Norway pledges over $150 million to Czech ammunition initiative for Ukraine. “Ukraine urgently needs large quantities of artillery ammunition to withstand the Russian war of aggression,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said.

UK pledges $416 million to buy 10,000 drones for Ukraine. The U.K. will allocate 325 million pounds ($416 million) to purchase over 10,000 “cutting-edge” drones for Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry announced on March 7.

Pavel: Allies collect required funding to purchase 800,000 shells for Ukraine. Czech President Petr Pavel said on March 7 that after Norway had joined the Czech-led allied initiative on purchasing 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, the required funds were collected, Czech outlet CT24 reported.

In other news

Sweden officially joins NATO. Sweden’s accession to the alliance was officially completed when Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson handed the so-called “instruments of accession” to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington.

Moldova signs defense deal with France, Macron pledges ‘unwavering support’ against Russian threat. The bilateral defense pact lays the groundwork for future military training, intelligence sharing, and increased defense consultation between the two countries.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Elsa Court, Nate Ostiller, Toma Istomina, Kateryna Hodunova, Olena Goncharova, Sonya Bandouil, and Rachel Amran.

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