Saturday, March 16

Russia’s war against Ukraine

First responders treat a man at the site of a Russian missile strike on Odesa on March 15, 2024. (State Emergency Service)

Zelensky: Ukraine to strike Russia’s ‘weakest spots’ with drones. Ukraine had identified Russia’s “weakest spots” for future drone attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 15 after meetings with top military and security officials.

European, US officials condemn Russia’s deadly attack on Odesa. European and U.S. officials condemned Russia’s March 15 missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Odesa that killed at least 20 people and injured over 70 more.

Russian torture of Ukrainian POWs ‘widespread and systematic,’ UN commission says. Russian torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) is “widespread and systematic” and shows a “blatant disregard for human dignity,” a report from a United Nations commission of inquiry on Ukraine said on March 15.

Ukrainian intelligence ‘hacking Russian online voting systems.’ A source in the military intelligence agency confirmed to the Kyiv Independent it was currently making attempts to disrupt the vote, adding: “There are no elections or democracy there anyway.”

Russian missile attack sets fire to medical facility in Kharkiv Oblast. Russia launched a missile attack against the town of Zolochiv in Kharkiv Oblast, starting a fire at a medical aid station and an unfinished dormitory, the State Emergency Service reported on March 15.

SBU has repelled almost 10,000 cyberattacks since 2022. Specialists of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have repelled almost 10,000 cyberattacks since the outbreak of the full-scale war, and more attacks are taking place every day, SBU cyber chief Illia Vytiuk said on air on March 15.

G7 leaders call on Iran not to supply Russia with missiles. G7 leaders called on third parties to stop providing Russia with material support, recalling Iran in their joint statement published on March 15.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

Russia recruits more foreign mercenaries to fight in war, Ukraine says. Russia increasingly involves foreign mercenaries from countries with a “difficult economic situation” in the all-out war in Ukraine, Petro Yatsenko, a spokesperson of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said on March 15 during the press conference in Kyiv.

Ukraine retrieves bodies of 100 fallen soldiers. Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 100 soldiers who died fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported on March 15.

Evacuation of civilians continues in Sumy Oblast. Ukrainian authorities continue evacuations of communities in the northeastern Sumy Oblast close to the Russian border after Moscow intensified its attacks against the region, local officials said on March 15.

Fire reported at Russia’s Syzran oil refinery. The governor of Russia’s Samara Oblast reported on March 16 that two Rosneft oil refineries in the area were targeted by Ukrainian drones, resulting in no casualties but leaving one facility on fire.

Ukrainian government officially approves site for future military memorial cemetery. The Ukrainian government has officially approved the construction of a national military memorial cemetery in the Hatne community near Kyiv, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported on March 15.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Russian missile strike on Odesa kills 20, injures over 70

Russia launched two Iskander-M missiles against Odesa on March 15, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 70 as of 8 p.m. local time, officials said. First responders and police officers were among the victims.

Photo: State Emergency Service

Whether afraid or indifferent, regular Russians enable autocracy

For global audiences watching Moscow’s tightly-choreographed “election-style event” this weekend, Russia appears to be a country transformed – a militarized society where dissent is simply no longer tolerated.

Photo: Sergei Guneyev/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

US veteran and photographer’s wartime Ukraine memoir tests notion of ‘universal’ truths

“I’m a photographer,” writes U.S. combat veteran and photojournalist J.T. Blatty, “But really, I’m just a human drawn toward the truth, in snapshots of truth.”

Photo: Sergey Shestak /AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian missile strike kills 20, injures 73 in Odesa. A Russian missile strike on Odesa killed 20 people on March 15, the State Emergency Service reported.

Governor: Russian shelling of Zaporizhzhia Oblast village kills woman. Russian forces shelled the village of Dolynka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing a 76-year-old woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported on March 15.

International response

EU to transfer 4.5 billion euros to Ukraine. Ukraine will receive 4.5 billion euros ($4.9 billion) from the European Union through its four-year Ukraine Facility program next week, Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Budget and Administration, announced on March 15.

Politico: Speaker Johnson expects to take up Ukraine aid bill with Democratic votes. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said in an interview with Politico on March 14 that he expects to pass a future Ukraine aid bill with Democratic votes, adding that splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into two separate bills was “under consideration.”

Scholz, Macron, Tusk vow more arms purchases, new initiatives for Ukraine. The leaders of Germany, France, and Poland agreed on new initiatives in support of Kyiv, including more weapons purchases and a future coalition on rocket artillery, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reportedly said on March 15 following a Weimar Triangle meeting in Berlin.

Over 50 countries condemn Russia’s illegal election in occupied Ukrainian territories. Ukraine, 56 more countries, and the European Union condemned the illegally organized voting in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine as part of Russia’s presidential election, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya said on March 15.

Media: Greece plans to purchase ammunition for Ukraine through Czechia. Athens told EU officials that it could supply Ukraine with extensive ammunition stocks through Czechia this year, including 90,000 90 mm projectiles, 180 70 mm anti-tank projectiles, 2,000 127 mm Zuni rockets, and 4 million bullets, Kathimerini said.

Minister: Greece joins international coalition for demining in Ukraine. Greece has recently joined the Lithuania-led coalition to assist Ukraine with demining efforts, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said on March 15.

RFE/RL: Hungary again criticizes Ukraine’s national minority policies in letter to EU. Hungary has sent a document to the EU member states criticizing Ukraine’s policies on national minorities, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on March 15, citing the Hungarian statement.

Der Spiegel: German FM is trying to persuade Scholz to hand over Taurus missiles to Ukraine. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is exploring ways for Germany to potentially provide Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine while respecting chancellor’s “red lines,” according to Der Spiegel.

In other news

RFE/RL: Belarus sentences Ukrainian to 9 years in prison for alleged ‘espionage.’ The regional court in Belarus’ Homyel sentenced Ukrainian citizen Nataliia Zakharenko to nine years in prison on espionage charges, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on March 15, citing its sources and Zakharenko’s relatives.

Kyiv Metro head resigns after journalistic investigation exposes his alleged financial misconduct. Viktor Brahinskyi, the director of the Kyiv Metro, submitted his resignation in light of a Bihus.Info investigation into Brahinskyi’s alleged financial misconduct, the Kyiv City State Administration said on March 15.

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Toma Istomina, Chris York, Kateryna Denisova, Martin Fornusek, Dinara Khalilova, Kateryna Hodunova, Brad LaFoy, and Olena Goncharova.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.