Sunday, March 12

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian servicemen from the 10th Brigade unload ammunition for heavy artillery at a position along the frontline outside of Soledar, Ukraine on March 11, 2023. The artillery battle between Ukranian and Russian forces has been fierce in recent weeks. (Photo by Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Ground Forces Commander: Spring counteroffensive ‘not far off.’ Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, said that the defense of Bakhmut was necessary for the start of the spring counteroffensive, which is “not far off,” the Ground Forces reported on March 11.

Zelensky: Over 40 missiles have hit Kharkiv since the beginning of 2023. In his nightly address on March 11, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 40 missiles have hit the northeastern city of Kharkiv since the beginning of the year.

Ukraine’s special forces destroy 2 military watchtowers in Russia. The special forces unit of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Kraken, said on March 11 that it had destroyed two Murom military watchtowers in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions close to Ukraine’s border.

2 children injured in Zaporizhzhia Oblast following anti-tank grenade explosion.

On March 11, two boys - a 3-year-old and an 11-year-old sustained injuries following the detonation of an explosive object in a private residence in the village of Novoivanivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, local police reported.

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Interior minister: Ukraine almost done assembling new assault brigades. According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, 28,000 volunteers have already applied to join new assault brigades, also known as the Offensive Guard. The forces are now collecting reservists.

Media: Iran strikes deal to buy Su-35 fighters from Russia. Iran has developed strong ties with Russia in various sectors over the past year, providing Russia with Shahed-136 kamikaze-drones that Russian forces are using to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Fire reported at Russian propaganda channel headquarters in Moscow. A fire broke out on March 11 at the Moscow office of Spas, a church-funded propaganda TV channel, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

ISW: Putin unable to immediately fix control over Russia’s information sphere.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on March 11 that there is infighting in the Kremlin’s inner circle, and that the Kremlin has effectively ceded control over the country’s information space. The Institute for the Study of War said Zakharova’s statement supports several of ISW’s longstanding assessments about the deteriorating Kremlin regime and information space control dynamics.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Prosecutors: Russian troops kill 1 civilian, injure 4 in Donetsk Oblast. The Prosecutor’s General’s Office said that the Russian army hit the town of Kostiantynivka, the village of Mykolaivka near Kramatorsk, and Maksymilianivka near the town of Mariinka, damaging houses, residential buildings, cars and civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian military: Russian forces lose more than 500 troops in one day in Bakhmut. The Russian casualties over the past day in Bakhmut include 221 killed and 314 wounded, according to Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russian attacks kill 3, injure 5 in Kherson Oblast over past day. Russian forces fired a total of 335 shells with mortars, MLRS, artillery, tanks, and UAVs over the course of 71 shellings in Kherson Oblast, according to Kherson Regional Military Administration.

Prosecutor General’s Office: Russia has killed at least 464 children, injured 934 since Feb. 24. Prosecutor General’s Office reported on March 11 that Russia’s attacks across Ukraine have killed at least 464 children and wounded 934 more since Feb. 24. Also, 367 children are considered missing, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported, citing National Police.

General Staff: Russia has lost 158,000 troops in Ukraine as of March 11. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on March 11 that Russia had lost 158,000 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

International response

Former President of Estonia urges West to give Ukraine fighter jets. “If Ukrainians say they need fighter planes, we must help them,” Kersti Kaljulaid said in an interview with the German daily newspaper Tagesspiegel published on March 10.

Finnish authorities back out on PM’s suggestion that Finland could give Ukraine fighter jets. Finland’s defense minister and air force commander ruled out the delivery of F-18 Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine in the foreseeable future.

The Guardian: UK urges Olympics sponsors to help keep ban on Russian, Belarusian athletes. UK’s culture secretary Lucy Frazer reportedly asked the UK chief executives of the sponsors of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) worldwide, including Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung, and Visa, to press the committee on keeping the ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleksiy Sorokin, Alexander Query, Toma Istomina, Igor Kossov, Oleg Sukhov, Alexander Khrebet, Brad LaFoy, and Olena Goncharova.

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