Tuesday, March 12

Russia’s war against Ukraine

in Lviv, cadets and residents of the city hold the flag of Ukraine during the celebration of the National Anthem Day of Ukraine. On March 11, Ukraine celebrates the 159th anniversary of the first public performance of the National Anthem of Ukraine. (Olena Znak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Zelensky: As long as Ukraine holds, French army can stay in France. Zelensky was addressing French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent comments that sending Western troops into Ukraine cannot be “ruled out.”

CNN: Russia producing 3 times more shells than US, Europe can provide to Ukraine. Russia is set to produce nearly three times as many artillery munitions as the U.S. and Europe this year, CNN reported on March 11, citing NATO intelligence estimates and unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

Foreign Ministry summons Vatican envoy following Pope’s call for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine Visvaldas Kulbokas on March 11 concerning Pope Francis’ recent call for Kyiv to “not be ashamed to negotiate” with Moscow.

Kherson Governor: 5 children returned from Russian captivity. The NGO Save Ukraine has returned five children and an 18-year-old orphan from Russian-occupied territories, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on March 11.

Zelensky: Ukraine building 2,000 kilometers of fortifications. The construction of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) of fortifications across three lines of defense is “a massive task, but the pace is good,” Zelensky said.

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Minister: Ukraine starts talks with US, EU regulators to restore air service.

Kyiv is waiting for the first round of official feedback from regulators and is currently in talks with three Ukrainian companies that have confirmed they “want to fly,” Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov told RBC-Ukraine in an interview.

SBU detains spouse of former regional official, suspected of spying for Russia. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a woman, the wife of a former local council head in Vinnytsia Oblast, for allegedly detailing sensitive data on Ukrainian positions to Russia, the SBU announced in a press release on March 11.

Russian lawmakers propose draft bill declaring ‘illegal’ return of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954. Lawmakers of the ruling United Russia political party submitted a draft law to the Russian State Duma on March 11 declaring Russia’s 1954 return of Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic “illegal.”

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Ukraine war latest: Russia producing 3 times more shells than US, Europe can provide to Ukraine, CNN says

Russia is set to produce nearly three times as many artillery munitions as the U.S. and Europe can send to Ukraine, CNN reported, citing NATO intelligence estimates and unnamed sources.

Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent

5 children killed in single attack: ‘We should never forget what Russia did’

In the early hours of March 2, Russia attacked Odesa with drones, hitting a multi-storied apartment building in one of the city’s residential neighborhoods, killing a total of 12 people, including the five children.

Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attacks against Kharkiv Oblast injure 4 civilians. Russian attacks against Kharkiv Oblast during the afternoon injured four people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on Telegram on March 11.

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 3, injure 13 over past day. Russia launched 25 Shahed drones at Ukraine overnight, 15 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, the General Staff reported in a post on Facebook.

International response

Judge who issued warrant for Putin becomes head of International Criminal Court. International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge Tomoko Akane, who was placed on a Russian wanted list after issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023, was elected president of the ICC on March 11.

Pope’s call for Ukraine’s surrender receives criticism from Scholz, Stoltenberg. Pope Francis’ call for Ukraine to “not be ashamed to negotiate” with Russia received critical responses from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO General Jens Stoltenberg on March 11.

Baerbock says Taurus-Storm Shadow missiles swap ‘an option.’ Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she was open to a deal in which London supplies Ukraine with additional Storm Shadow missiles in exchange for Germany backfilling British long-range missile stocks.

Orban: Trump will stop funding Ukraine if elected. Echoing previous comments by the former president about his plans to negotiate peace in Ukraine within 24 hours, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that former U.S. President Donald Trump would end the supply of weapons from the U.S., a move that he said would mark the end of the war.

Media: International electronics companies that suspended operations in Russia resume advertising. Leading international electronics companies, including Samsung and Xiaomi, have resumed advertising in Russia after suspending product promotion after the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian state media outlet Kommersant reported, citing TelecomDaily data.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: Europe has a Russian fossil fuel addiction

“In spite of 13 sanctions packages against Russia and endless words of solidarity for Ukraine, recent data has revealed that many European Union countries continue to import massive amounts of liquified natural gas, propping up Russian President Vladimir Putin’s genocidal regime,” writes Svitlana Romanko, a founder and director of Razom We Stand.

Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

In other news

Deputy PM: Ukraine meets requirements to approve framework for EU accession negotiations. Ukraine has implemented all four recommendations needed for the European Commission to approve Ukraine’s framework for accession negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna told reporters at an anti-corruption event in Kyiv on March 11.

Ex-Foreign Ministry spokesperson appointed as Toronto consul general. Oleh Nikolenko, who had been a spokesperson for over three years, announced his resignation on March 8, saying he was about to start “a new diplomatic chapter.”

Ukrainian consul visits Polish border, sees no signs of blockade. Ukrainian consul in Poland Serhii Tsaruk visited the Dorohusk crossing on March 11 and reported that he did not see any blocked buses, following conflicting reports that Polish protesters were preventing buses from crossing the border.

Russian media: South Korean arrested in Russia on suspicion of spying for first time. A South Korean citizen has been arrested in Russia for the first time on alleged espionage charges, Russian state-owned news agency TASS said on March 11.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Lili Bivings, Kateryna Denisova, Nate Ostiller, Oleg Sukhov, Elsa Court, Dmytro Basmat, and Olena Goncharova.

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