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Day 15th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion (Live Updates)

Defense Express collects operative information on Russia's invasion of Ukraine – official sources and senior Ukrainian servicemen's announcements
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Little girl after an air strike on the maternity hospital. Mariupol, Donetsk region / Photo credit: Ukraine NOW
Little girl after an air strike on the maternity hospital. Mariupol, Donetsk region / Photo credit: Ukraine NOW

For two weeks already Ukraine has been fighting against Russia in a war that began with an unprovoked invasion of the Russian army into Ukrainian land. But soon enough "the second most powerful army" proved its incompetence and cowardice. The whole world stands with Ukraine, while Russia becomes more and more isolated

Brief facts:

  • USA and Poland did not agree on the plan to provide Ukraine with fighter jets

Sources:

Latest news:

Thank you for your attention! This feed is closed. But Defense Express has already started a new one. Find the latest news on Day 16th of the Russian invasion of Ukraine here.

Read more: Why Initiation of No Fly Zone is Strong Need For Ukrainian People and For All Europe
Defense Express / Along with other explosive devices, an anti-tank mine disguised in grass and soil was detached in Mykolaiv region / Day 15th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion (Live Updates)
Along with other explosive devices, an anti-tank mine disguised in grass and soil was detached in the Mykolaiv region / Photo credit: State Emergency Service department in the Mykolaiv region

23:44 Suspilne media citing SES: pyrotechnicians have defused the OFAB-250 air bomb of modern manufacture in Odesa region. The weight of such a bomb is over 260 kilos.

State Emergency Service (SES): citizens in the Mykolaiv region report ammunition remaining after the shelling. There are more and more such applications every day. The most often are cluster munitions from Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, artillery and engineering munitions, and aviation bombs. Today, on March 10, along with other explosive devices, an anti-tank mine disguised in grass and soil was detached.

Defense Express / Pyrotechnicians have defused the OFAB-250 air bomb (over 260 kg) of modern manufacture in Odesa region / Day 15th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion (Live Updates)
Pyrotechnicians have defused the OFAB-250 air bomb (over 260 kg) of modern manufacture in the Odesa region / Photo credit: State Emergency Service department in the Odesa region
23:30

Ukrainian Land Forces: Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko shared footage of the battlefield after the Ukrainian army crushed invaders in combat near Mokrets' village. "According to the military, 3 tanks, a "Tor" anti-aircraft missile system, and 2 MT-LBs were damaged. 7 [units of] T-72 tanks and 1 CRVs

(Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles – Defense Express)

were seized as trophies," the journalist wrote.

23:19 Center for Countering Disinformation at the NSDC of Ukraine informs: the Belarusian authorities have allowed the transportation of Russian missiles by railway. The conditions of the transportation do not comply with any safety rules, threatening an explosion resulting in numerous casualties.

In particular, in semi-open cars without proper marking are transported:

  • the main parts of the missiles "Point-U,
  • MLRS "Hail" rockets,
  • Tornado rockets;
  • quasi-ballistic and cruise missiles for "Iskanders", etc.

In addition to the danger of detonation, there is a real threat of "rail war" on the railway infrastructure featuring Belarusian patriots who oppose the current government. In these conditions, employees of locomotive crews massively refuse to do their job.

"Belarusian society should demand from the authorities a ban on the movement of military echelons with equipment on the territory of Belarus. Those carrying Russian ammunition are also involved in the crime," the Center for Countering Disinformation stated.

23:16 Ukraine NOW: Iryna Vereshchuk Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine on the work of humanitarian corridors:

  • More than 60,000 people were evacuated from the cities of Sumy, Trostianets, and Krasnopillia in the direction of Poltava in two days.
  • About 3,000 people managed to leave the city of Izium for the city of Lozova in the Kharkiv region. Humanitarian aid was brought to the city of Izium: medicines, food, and water. In total it’s more than 100 tons.
  • About 20,000 people were evacuated from Bucha, Gostomel, Irpin, Vorzel, and other regions of Kyiv yesterday.
  • More than 100 tons of aid were delivered to the city of Energodar.
  • There is still a real humanitarian catastrophe in Mariupol. Russian invaders didn’t let even aid trucks go through. People have no water, no medicine, no food being under constant Russian fire for several days in a row.

22:55 Stratcom Centre citing NSDC of Ukraine: Ukraine started to prepare for war with Russia in November 2021. This is what Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said on Ukrainian TV.

"We couldn't say that the war is coming," the NSDC Secretary said. "It was inadmissible because one of the Russian Federation's tactics was to begin chaos here."

He also said that despite the preparations, the attack from the territory of Belarus was unexpected. "We didn't expect such a backstab. We did not expect that they [Russians] will move on all the fronts. It was a surprise," the official admitted.

22:49 Anton Gerashchenko, the Advisor to the MIA of Ukraine: "This "Tiger" is a trophy of fighters of the Kharkiv territorial association 'Azov'. It was repaired and put into operation. Now it will work in Ukraine."

Defense Express / Kharkiv territorial association 'Azov' has seized a 'Tiger
"This 'Tiger' is a trophy of fighters of the Kharkiv territorial association 'Azov'. It was repaired and put into operation. Now it will work in Ukraine" – Anton Gerashchenko, the Adviser to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine / Photo credit: Telegram, Pravda Gerashchenko (verified channel)
22:38

Operational Command “North”: one of the units of the OC "North" fought with the overwhelming forces of the enemy in the Chernihiv region today. As a result of this battle, the Ukrainian military seized 10 functional tanks, an anti-aircraft missile system and an armored evacuation vehicle.

Defense Express / One of the units of the OC
One of the units of the OC "North" fought with the overwhelming forces of the enemy in the Chernihiv region, seized 10 tanks, an anti-aircraft missile system and an armored evacuation vehicle / Photo credit: Operational Command “North”

22:35 General Staff: 72nd Mechanized Brigade of Ukrainian Armed Forces has seized a fully functional T-72 tank with ammunition. The brigade reports this tank being abandoned when Russian invaders were running away from the battlefield

20:15 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has released information that Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine captured another "special" trophy - Russian self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery system "Pantsir-C1".

19:10 Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko released in Telegam, that Ukrainian soldiers defeated a Russian occupant unit near the Mokrets village on the border of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. According to the military, who took part in the battle, three tanks, the Air Defense System Tor, and two MT-LB were destroyed. Seven T-72 tanks and one combat reconnaissance vehicle were captured as trophies.

18:25 The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has released information that the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down another Su-25 aircraft

17:10 The head of the Kryvyi Rig military administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, said on Facebook that two missiles hit the airport in Lozovatka. People were not injured.

16:50 SE NNEGC "Energoatom" has released information that the Russian invaders, who temporarily seized the Zaporizhia NPP, mined the coast of Kakhovka reservoir bordering the plant.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

15:40 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has released a video with an example of high-precision work of the Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UAV’s crew to destroy the equipment of the russia’s aggressor.

14:52 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky: Russian propagandists will be brought to justice for complicity in war crimes.

Russian propagandists will be brought to justice for complicity in war crimes, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said in his video address.

"War crimes are impossible without propagandists who cover them up. I want to tell them one thing: you will answer in the same way as all those who order bombs to be dropped on civilians. We will find all the property of propagandists and their associates. We will do our best to confiscate it wherever it is. You love a rich life, love prosperous countries, but you will not have this anymore," the head of state said.

According to him, this will be just the beginning. Zelensky stressed that Russian propagandists will be prosecuted for collaboration in war crimes.

He also said that one day they would be hated by Russian citizens, by all those whom they have been cheating on a daily basis for many years.

He reminded that after yesterday's airstrike on a maternity hospital and children's hospital in Mariupol, three people were killed, including one child, and the number of wounded, including children, women and medical workers stood at 17.

The President said that Russian television "mentioned" this topic during a talk show.

"But not a word of truth was said. The Russians were lied to that there were no patients in the hospital and no women or children in the maternity hospital. The Russians were lied to that ‘nationalists’ had allegedly settled there. At some positions. They lie confidently, as always," Zelensky stressed.

14:30 An adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs Vadym Denysenko: Humanitarian corridors have been opened only in Sumy region so far, whereas it is still difficult to talk about other regions.

“As of now, humanitarian corridors are available only in Sumy region. In fact, it is still very difficult to talk about any other humanitarian corridors,” Denysenko said.

Recent photo of the evacuation of civil citizens from Sumy, Defense Express, Day 15th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion
Recent photo of the evacuation of civil citizens from Sumy

As reported, on Thursday, humanitarian corridors were opened from Mariupol, Volnovakha, Izium, Sumy, Trostianets and Krasnopillia and some cities near Kyiv - Bucha, Borodianka, Irpin and Hostomel.

Later, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that the evacuation of people from Mariupol was blocked, whereas the situation with evacuation in the Kyiv direction was slightly better.

Defense Express memo: On February 24, Russia declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure. Missiles hit residential buildings.

13:50 The Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed Iskander division in Chernihiv region.

In Chernihiv region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed a division of Iskander-M ballistic operational and tactical missile systems.

The Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote this on its official page on Facebook, referring to the North Operational Command.

It is noted that the Iskander missile systems were destroyed at noon on Thursday, March 10.

13.40 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Operational information on 12.00, 10.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion to Ukraine:

The fifteenth day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the russian military invasion continues.

Ukraine's defense forces are repelling and holding back the offensive of the russian armed forces in all directions.

In the Polissya direction, the occupiers continue to hold the settlements of Poliske, Kukhari, Borodyanka, Andriyivka, Motyzhyn, Horenychi, Bucha, and Demydiv. The enemy is trying to restore the combat effectiveness of units that have suffered heavy losses, regroups and does not abandon the idea of blocking Kyiv from the west and southwest.

The preparation and penetration of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups into Kyiv under the guise of evacuated residents of the occupied settlements is not ruled out.

The defense forces of Ukraine repulsed an attempt by the enemy to force the Irpin River near the settlement of Moshchun, the enemy was repulsed, and the settlement was liberated.

In the Mykolayiv direction, the enemy is trying to gain a foothold in the settlements of Luparevo, Pravdyno, Blagodatne, Novohryhorivka, Kalynivka, Kiselivka, Pershotravneve, Oleksandrivka, Burgunka, Bereslav, and Tavriysk.

In the Crimean direction, the strengthening of the enemy grouping by a battalion tactical group from the 336th separate brigade of marines of the Baltic Fleet of the Armed Forces of the russian Armed Forces was recorded.

In all directions the ENEMY IS STOPPED by the Defense Forces of Ukraine, has no success, tries to keep the occupied frontiers and positions.

As a feature, the enemy, in order to mislead the units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, began to mark himself with a yellow ribbon on his sleeve. However, to identify affiliation with the RF Armed Forces, the yellow ribbon is also attached to the leg.

13:00 The Mariupol City Council: Russian air strikes hitting center of Mariupol.

Russian air strikes are now hitting the center of Mariupol. The Mariupol City Council reported this on Telegram and posted a video.

"Right now Mariupol is under air strikes by the Russian occupiers. Bombs are hitting residential houses. One shell hit the building of Pre-Azov State Technical University in the city center. The area of the Drama Theater have been bombed. Information about victims is being clarified. The rushists are purposefully attacking the civilian population of Mariupol,” the report says.

12:30 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba: No results were reached after negotiations with Lavrov in Turkey

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on March 10 in Turkey, in an attempt to broker a 24-hour ceasefire and a humanitarian corridor to the southern port city of Mariupol, encircled by Russian troops.

According to Kuleba, no results were reached since Lavrov didn’t have the mandate to sign any agreements.

“I came here with a humanitarian purpose, to walk out of the meeting with a decision to arrange a humanitarian corridor to and from Mariupol,” Kuleba said, adding that they didn’t reach an agreement with Lavrov.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba holds a press briefing after negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov end without a result, in Antalya, Turkey, on March 10, 2022 Defense Express, Day 15th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba holds a press briefing after negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov end without a result, in Antalya, Turkey, on March 10, 2022 / Photo credit: Orhan Cicek/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Kuleba described the current conditions in Mariupol as “apocalyptic,” and said, a day prior, that there are almost 3,000 newborn babies who lack medicine and food in the city.

“Russia continues to hold more than 400,000 people hostage in Mariupol, blocking humanitarian aid and evacuation,” he said. “Indiscriminate shelling continues.”

Dmytro Kuleba also announces his readiness to meet with Lavrov again in format of Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey. "I will be ready to meet again in this format if there are prospects for a substantial discussion and for seeking solutions”, he says.

Defense Express memo: Mariupol, a besieged city in Donetsk Oblast, has been in dire conditions and under heavy airstrikes.Three attempts to evacuate civilians from the city have failed after Russia violated the agreed-upon temporary ceasefire. For over a week, civilians in Mariupol have been anxiously waiting for news of evacuation efforts as they shelter under bombardment without water, power, or heat. On Wednesday, March 9, in Mariupol, the aggressor destroyed a maternity hospital in the city center, a hospital, a children's ward, and a therapy ward during an air raid. As a result of the Russian airstrike in the maternity hospital, it has been confirmed so far that 17 doctors and one expectant mother were injured

Found Out the Number of Deaths in the Maternity Hospital in Mariupol

12:18 Ukrainian military captured thousands of Russian soldiers - adviser to interior minister.

The Ukrainian army has captured thousands of Russian military in Ukraine.

Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to the interior minister, said this on the Rada TV channel, - Ukrinform reports.

"The total number of prisoners amount to about thousands. I do not have the authority to voice the [exact] number," he said.

According to Denysenko, Russian prisoners will be taken to one center, where they will be placed.

“After that, in accordance with all international conventions, they may work on rebuilding Ukraine. They will rebuild what the Russian army has ruined,” the minister said.

11:00 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 10.03

The new summary of Russian military combat losses is already available to see:

Ukrainian defenders are adding to their hit lists more and more military vehicles and enemy personnel. This list includes the following:

Personnel - more 12 000,

Tanks ‒ 335 units,

APV ‒ 1105 units,

Artillery systems – 123 units,

MLRS - 56 units,

Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 29 units,

Aircraft – 49 units,

Helicopters – 81 units,

Vehicles - 526 units,

Boats / cutters - 3 units,

Fuel tanks - 60,

UAV operational-tactical level - 7.

10:10 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has held talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu as part of his working visit to Antalya

According to the Ukraine’s MFA report, Kuleba informed Cavusoglu about the current situation with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, war crimes and targeted shelling by Russian troops of civilian objects in Ukrainian cities, killing civilians, including children.

Both ministers discussed steps to end Russia's hostilities and war on Ukrainian territory. In this context, Kuleba thanked Cavusoglu for the initiative to organize a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Kuleba outlined three key issues he would insist on at the trilateral meeting with Lavrov. These include an immediate ceasefire, an improvement in the humanitarian situation in Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy, Volnovakha and other Ukrainian cities, and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

The Ukrainian minister called on Turkey to continue working with Moscow to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine.

As was reported earlier, a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Turkey and Russia will take place as part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 10.

10:00 The United Nations Office for Human Rights: War in Ukraine kills at least 516 civilians, 908 wounded

As of March 9, the United Nations Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) had recorded 1,424 civilian casualties, 516 killed, including 37 children, and 908 injured after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. The organization believes that the actual figures are “considerably higher, especially in government-controlled areas.”

"OHCHR believes that the real figures are considerably higher, especially in Government-controlled territory and especially in recent days, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration," the office said in the document.

According to him, this applies, for example, to Volnovakha, Mariupol, Izyum, where hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed or wounded. They are subject to further verification and are not included in the above statistics.

the United Nations Office for Human Rights had recorded 1,424 civilian casualties, 516 killed, including 37 children, and 908 injured after Russia invaded Ukraine, Defense Experss, Day 15th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion
As of March 9, the United Nations Office for Human Rights had recorded 1,424 civilian casualties, 516 killed, including 37 children, and 908 injured after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 / Photo credits: Evgeniy Maloletka / Associated Press

"Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the OHCHR said in the statement.

Find more details on the issue here.

09:10 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken drew an analogy between the Nazi siege of Leningrad during World War II and what the Kremlin is currently doing to the city of Mariupol in Ukraine. The state secretary wrote this on Twitter.

08:56 Russia has launched 710 missiles against Ukraine since the start of the invasion, and Russian forces have gotten closer to the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, according to a senior US defense official, CNN reported.

Russian forces gained 20 km (or 12 miles) in the last day and are just outside Kharkiv now, said the official. Additionally, Russia is about 15 km (9 miles) to the north of Mykolaiv.

There have been “no significant movements” by Russian forces towards Kyiv or Chernihiv, though there continues to be “a lot of fighting” near Chernihiv, said the official.

08:21 Russian Black Sea squadron relocated to Cape Tarkhankut and Lake Donuzlav. The spokesman of the operational staff of the Odessa regional military administration Sergey Bratchuk reported about it.

08:00 On March 9, Ukrainian forces defending Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Sea of Azov, destroyed four Russian main battle tanks, an infantry fighting vehicle, as well as destroyed and damaged 11 Russian armored vehicles. That’s according to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

07:47 The fifteenth day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people against the russian military invasion has begun. According to Operational information on 06.00, 10.03.2022 of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ukraine's defense forces continue to hold back the offensive of the russian Armed Forces in Donetsk, Slobozhansky and parts of the Tavriya operational areas. Defend the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Okhtyrka. The main efforts are focused on preventing the enemy from advancing in the south-eastern direction. The circular defense of the city of Mariupol continues. At the same time, the state border with the Republic of Belarus continues to be covered.

In the Siverskyi region, Ukrainian defenders are defending the city of Chernihiv. Measures are being taken to deter the enemy from advancing in the direction of Kyiv.

The group of forces and means of defense of the city of Kyiv is constantly ready to repel the enemy's offensive, inflicts fire damage on the offensive group of occupiers and maintains certain defensive lines.

In the southern direction, the enemy is held back in the directions of the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Mykolayiv, Voznesensk and the settlement of Novovorontsovka (Kherson region).

In other areas, groups of troops are conducting a stabilization operation and performing territorial defense tasks.

Units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine repel missile and bomb strikes and destroy enemy air strikes, provide air cover for important objects of Ukraine and groups of troops.

Over the past two days, fighter jets and anti-aircraft missile units have destroyed four Su-25 attack aircraft and two enemy helicopters.

The enemy reduced the pace of the offensive, its personnel demoralized. The number of cases of desertion and looting has significantly increased.

07:09 The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a spending bill totaling $1.5 trillion, which includes, among other things, emergency assistance to Ukraine and its allies worth $13.6 billion.

The vote took place late Wednesday night, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The package includes funds for humanitarian and economic assistance, as well as for strengthening the defense capabilities of Ukraine and U.S. allies in the Baltics, as well as Central and Eastern Europe.

As Ukrinform reported, since the launch of Russian aggression, the White House administration had initially requested from Congress $6.5 billion to respond to Russia's war against Ukraine, before the amount was increased to $10 billion and eventually turned to $13.6 billion. For legislation to come into force, it is yet to be supported in the Senate and then signed by the President.

06:20 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has lost remote data transmission from its safeguards systems installed to monitor nuclear material at the Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants. Ukrinform reports this with reference to the IAEA website.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

“IAEA in recent days had lost remote data transmission from its safeguards systems installed to monitor nuclear material at the Chornobyl NPP and another Ukrainian nuclear power plant now controlled by Russian forces, the Zaporizhzhia NPP,” the agency said.

05:12 The Head of the regional state administration, Dmitry Zhivitsky, said that "Russian aircraft again bombed residential areas in town Okhtyrka about half-past one on the first night of March 10". According to him, there is information that is being clarified, but "the bomb hit the gas pipeline." In addition, Zhivitsky said that Russian aircraft continue to bomb Okhtyrka every day and night.

Okhtyrka

04:56 The United States is rapidly processing requests from Americans to export firearms and ammunition to Ukraine, the US Commerce Department said on Wednesday.

Americans are collecting weapons for Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on his citizens to defend the country from invading Russian forces and promised to arm them.

The Commerce Department said it had imposed export controls on Russia to “degrade its ability to sustain military aggression” and Americans should check agency regulations to see if a license was needed to ship specific firearms to Ukraine.

“The department has been processing requests rapidly for the export of firearms and ammunition to Ukraine under its existing processes and authorities,” a department spokesperson said, Reuters reports.

Americans are donating thousands of sets of body armour and millions of rounds of ammunition in response to Ukraine’s pleas for military support.

Equipment donors and US volunteers for Ukraine’s armed forces must navigate US export license requirements for items like military-grade bullet proof vests.

Controls at airports on volunteers carrying such body-armour appear to have eased, a US volunteer in Poland said.

“From the latest wave of people carrying plates this week, not a single person has been stopped,” said the volunteer, who asked not to be named, referring to the ceramic plates that make vests bullet-proof.

Two Americans shipping military supplies to Ukraine, who asked to remain anonymous, said they had seen rapid export license approvals.

Soldiers with Kyiv’s Territorial Defense Battalion practice during urban warfare drills

04:01 Ukraine launches a website to track human rights violations by Russia. The collected information will be used as evidence against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice, the Head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office Andriy Yermak said.

03:20 On March 9, the Russian Zvezda TV channel reported that the aggressor’s artilleryman, Sergei Gubarev, allegedly used the TOS-1A Solntsepek system in the Chernihiv region on March 4 in a battle with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The British Ministry of Defense immediately responded that the Russians could use thermobaric warheads on the TOS-1A.

Thermobaric warheads explode in two stages. First, it releases an inflammatory mixture in the form of an aerosol, and then explodes another part, which blows up the mixture sprayed around. Due to this action, thermobaric munitions have a much stronger force of impact and blast wave.

According to international conventions on warfare, such thermobaric munitions are prohibited from being used against military targets or enemy manpower if they could strike civilians. In addition, thermobaric munitions are prohibited from being used against the military if the benefits do not justify their use.

The British Ministry of Defense warned that the use of the TOC-1A system by the Russian aggressors against the civilian population of Ukraine contradicts international law on warfare.

02:10 Everything that the occupiers are doing with Mariupol is beyond atrocities. Europeans! Ukrainians! Mariupol residents! Today, we must be united in condemning this war crime in Russia, which reflects all the evil that the occupiers brought to our land.

01:30 General Staff: operational information regarding the Russian invasion as of 00:00, March 10. Key points:

  • the Russian army has lost its combat capability in some of the directions and injects backup forces, deploys military formations from other strategic directions to the border of Ukraine
  • Belarus continues to support the aggressor, providing the supply of fuels and lubricants, the use of railway infrastructure and airfields
  • the invaders still try to surround Kyiv
  • Russians amass their forces near Mykolaiv

Background:

February, 24: Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a "special military operation" against Ukraine. A number of cities of Ukraine suffered a missile attack. Missiles hit several military facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro cities. In a few hours, martial law was imposed in Ukraine.

The war lasts for two weeks now. An impressive rundown of the first days of war was provided by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Here is an excerpt from his address to the Parliament of the United Kingdom:

"13 days of our defense.

On the first day at 4 am, cruise missiles were fired at us. So that everyone woke up - we, the children, all of us, living people, all of Ukraine. And we haven't slept since. We all took up arms becoming a large army.

The next day we fought off attacks in the air, on land and at sea. And our heroic border guards on Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea told everyone about the end of the war. Namely: where the enemy will go in the end. When a Russian ship demanded that our guys lay down their weapons, they answered him... As firmly as one cannot say in the parliament. And we felt the power. Great power of our people who will persecute the invader to the end.

On the third day, Russian troops openly fired at people and apartment buildings without hiding. Used artillery, air bombs. And it finally showed us, showed the world who is who. Who are great people and who are just savages.

On the fourth day, when we have already begun to take dozens of prisoners, we have not lost our dignity. We didn’t abuse them. We treat them like people. Because we remained human on the fourth day of this shameful war.

On the fifth day, the terror against us has already become outright. Against cities, against small towns. Ruined districts. Bombs, bombs, bombs, again bombs on houses, on schools, on hospitals. This is genocide. Which did not break us. It mobilized each and every one of us. And it gave us a sense of great truth.

On the sixth day, Russian missiles hit Babyn Yar. This is the place where the Nazis executed 100,000 people during World War II. 80 years later, Russia killed them for a second time.

On the seventh day, we realized they were destroying even the churches. Using bombs! Rockets again. They do not know the holy and great as we know.

On the eighth day, the world saw Russian tanks firing at a nuclear power plant. The largest in Europe. And the world began to understand that this is terror against all. This is a great terror.

On the ninth day, we listened to a meeting of NATO countries. Without the desired result for us. Without courage. That's how we felt - I don't want to offend anyone - we felt that alliances don't work. They can't even close the sky. That is why security guarantees in Europe must be built from scratch.

On the tenth day, unarmed Ukrainians protested everywhere in the occupied cities. Stopping armored vehicles with bare hands. We have become unbreakable.

On the eleventh day, when residential areas were already bombed, when everything was destroyed by explosions, when children were evacuated from a damaged children's oncology hospital... We realized: Ukrainians became heroes. Hundreds of thousands of people. Entire cities. Children, adults - all.

On the twelfth day, when the losses of the Russian army have already exceeded 10,000 killed, the general also appeared in this number. And this gave us confidence: for all crimes, for all shameful orders, there will still be responsibility before the International Court or Ukrainian weapons.

On the thirteenth day, a child died in Russian-occupied Mariupol. Died of dehydration. They do not allow food or water to people. They just blocked it - and people are in the basements. I think everyone hears: people don't have water there!"

The full address is available here.

Key points regarding the current state of warfare:

  • Ukraine managed to establish the defense, Russian offense has stalled
  • Belarus provides its lands to Russian troops and equipment; still hasn't joined the war directly
  • Russia uses terroristic methods of war, shelling civilian facilities where there are no military facilities nearby, keeping cities in a full blockade, and sabotaging humanitarian corridors
  • Russian army targets nuclear power plants; Chernobyl NPP and Zaporizhzhia NPP are seized by occupiers; military activities by Russian forces near power plant was described by Ukraine as nuclear terrorism
  • Ukraine urges NATO to close the sky over Ukraine or at least provide air defense equipment
  • Ukrainian citizens in the occupied cities rally against Russians; thousands of civilian volunteers join the Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; the fighting has become a national struggle for survival
  • Ukraine has had three rounds of negotiations with Russia; still, no significant progress towards ceasefire and peace, the main question, for now, is establishing humanitarian corridors for the supply of aid and evacuation of civilians
Read more: Day 14th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion (Live Updates)
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