Day 16th of Ukraine's Defense Against Russian Invasion

Brief facts:

Sources:

• Verkhovna Rada: the parliament of Ukraine and its social media (Facebook, Telegram)
• Presidential Office: the Official website of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his social media (Facebook, Twitter, Telegram), advisers to the Office: Oleksiy Arestovych and Mykhailo Podoliak.
• President Zelenskyy: the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his social media (Twitter, Facebook, Telegram)
• General Staff: the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
• CinC AF of Ukraine: the official Facebook page of General Valerii Zaluzhnyi the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
• Ukrainian MFA: the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and social media (MFA website, MFA Twitter, Kuleba Twitter, Kuleba Facebook)
• Ukraine NOW: ukraine.ua – the official website of Ukraine, administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Ukrainian Institute
• MIA of Ukraine: the official Facebook of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine; Anton Gerashchenko, the Advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (Facebook, Telegram)
• Stratcom Centre: Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security of Ukraine – an establishment under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine – website and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Telegram)

Latest news:

00:00 Ukraine NOW: Key points of the briefing of Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk about the results of humanitarian corridors:

Read more: UA 128th Mounting Assault Brigade has Eliminated Russian Military Spy Unit

• More than a thousand people were evacuated from Vorzel, Bucha, Gostomel, Kozarovychi cities of the Kyiv region.
• Buses could not be sent on the route from Izium to Lozova cities of the Kharkiv region. Russian troops opened mortar fires on the entrance to the city of Izium without complying with the ceasefire agreement. Evacuation of residents and supply of humanitarian aid is currently impossible.
• On the route of Andriyivka and Mikulenka villages near Zhytomyr city, 12 buses were stopped at the checkpoint by the Russian armed forces.
• On the route from Makarivka to Zhytomyr, the ceasefire was violated by the Russian invaders.
• A ceasefire was violated on the route from Borodianka to Zhytomyr.
• There was no evacuation from the city of Mariupol to the city of Zaporizhzhia. There will be another attempt to evacuate people and deliver humanitarian relief to Mariupol on March 12.
• The evacuation from Volnovakha to the city of Pokrovsk did not take place either today.

23:41 Despite today's announcement by the European Union that Ukraine will not be able to get a fast-track EU membership, Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba is optimistic about the results of the two-day crisis summit of E.U. leaders at France’s Palace of Versailles on March 11.

Ukraine NOW: the process of Ukraine's accession to the European Union has begun, Dmytro Kuleba said during the national TV marathon. He noted that Ukraine was waiting for a more ambitious response from the EU leaders. Such as an announcement that they would be accepting Ukraine's application and would consider it under an accelerated procedure.

"This would be a clear, unambiguous signal from the leaders," the Minister said. "I emphasize that today was an informal summit. This is not a decision of the European Union. This is a place where a certain political ambition is established. We would like it to be more ambitious, but we need to assess everything in context. If we compared our expectations yesterday or today, we would want more. But what happened last night compared to what we had three weeks ago is a revolution that is in the best interests of Ukraine and is launching our EU membership process", – said Dmytro Kuleba.

"As of today, we are 100% sure that Ukraine will be a member of the EU. It's a matter of time now. We will work on making this happen as soon as possible. But it will not happen in a day or a week."

23:15 CinC AF of Ukraine: Air Force of the Armed force of Ukraine destroyed Russian command point in the Kyiv direction. Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a video depicting that. As the video title implies, Ukrainian Air Force used Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle to impose a strike upon the occupiers.

22:43 Anton Gerashchenko, the Advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine: "the motivation to go to war against Ukrainians among Belarussian troops is not "zero" - it is minus infinity," the official wrote on Telegram.

"Even if Putin broke the sly cockroach Lukashenko's will and forced him to start a direct invasion into Ukraine the outcome for the RF will be minimal. Belarusian troops will be the same burden, as the Italian troops were for Hitler <...> I believe that the Belarussian army will run and surrender even faster than the Russian one." The adviser to Ukrainian MIA also noted that Lukashenko's army is consists of 65,000 personnel only. 20,000 of those are civilians and 45,000 are actual servicemen. The number of capable army forces is 20-25,000 max. 90% of the equipment is Soviet inheritance, "which means - it's rubble."

"That means that in Lutsk, Rivne and Zhytomyr we have to prepare many chambers for detaining future Belarussian prisoners of war," Anton Gerashchenko assumed considering the situation if the Army of Belarus actually invades Ukraine.

Defense Express reminds, that despite having deployed a significant number of troops near the border of Ukraine, Belarus has not taken part in the war directly yet. Nevertheless, Belarus is internationally recognized as the accomplice of Russia Russian forces launch their missiles and air raids from the territory of Belarus. Ukrainian Intelligence repeatedly warned that Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenka might be preparing to pull Belarus into the invasion on the side of Russia.

22:38 Head of the Mykolaiv region state administration Vitaliy Kim: Russian troops shell civilian objects chaotically, without fire adjust. This way they try to cover relocations, the official wrote on Telegram. No casualties reported.

22:25 Office of the High Commissioner for the United Nations Human Rights: the organization confirmed Russia using prohibited cluster munitions in Ukraine. The information was confirmed in the UN Human Rights statement:

"We have also received credible reports of several cases of Russian forces using cluster munitions, including in populated areas. On 24 February, a cluster munition exploded at the Central City Hospital in Vuhledar, in government-controlled Donetsk, killing four civilians, injuring 10 others, and damaging ambulances, civilian vehicles and the hospital itself. There were other cluster munition attacks in several districts of Kharkiv, in which nine civilians were killed and 37 injured."

21:39 Verkhovna Rada citing national TV marathon: on March 11, representatives of the so-called "civil-military administration" arrived at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. They said that the territory of the NPP belongs to Russia and the power plant itself – to "Rosatom" (Russian state nuclear energy corporation – Defense Express note). The head of the state enterprise "Energoatom" Petro Kotin reported this on national television.

Later, "Rosatom" civilian representatives and engineers from Russian nuclear power plants arrived in Enerhodar city, where the Zaporizhzhia NPP was situated. They reached out to the nuclear plant's management as they wanted access to the management of the enterprise. They were not allowed there.

NPP employees, who are in a difficult psychological state, continue to work at the power plant. Currently, there are about 500 armed soldiers and about 50 units of equipment on the territory of the station.

Stratcom Centre: earlier today "Energoatom" said that Russian occupiers use the Zaporizhzhia NPP as their military base. The state enterprise published a video featuring Russian military equipment located in the territory of the plant.

21:30 Ukraine NOW: a drone crashed in the Croatian capital last night. According to the preliminary version, it was a Soviet drone, Tu-141 "Strizh". The drone just mixed up the coordinates. It fell that night near the island of Jarun in Zagreb, Croatia. And it was supposed to go to Yarun, Novohrad-Volynskyy district of Zhytomyr region, Ukraine. Russian soldiers made a terrible mistake by entering "Jarun" instead of "Yarun" and sent it to Croatia.

21:19 UN Human Rights Office in Ukraine reported 1,546 civilian casualties in the context of Russia’s armed attack against Ukraine: 564 killed, including 41 children; 982 injured, including 52 children, mostly caused by shelling and airstrikes. The actual toll is much higher, noted the UN organization.

For comparison, today President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, 78 children were killed by Russian occupiers since the beginning of the invasion. Also, a total of 1582 civilians were killed only(!) in Mariupol city during the 12-day blockade of the city by Russian occupiers, as Ukraine NOW reports.

20:41 U.S. believes Russia can use chemical weapons in Ukraine on 11.03.2022

The United States is seriously concerned about the possibility of Russian forces using chemical or bacteriological weapons in Ukraine to conduct a false flag operation or to support tactical military operations on Ukrainian territory.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said this on Friday at a meeting of the UN Security Council, initiated by Russia.

"We believe Russia could use chemical or biological agents for assassinations, as part of a staged or false flag incident, or to support tactical military operations," she said.

Thomas-Greenfield also recalled that the United States had warned the world about the Kremlin's intentions to create a pretext for invading Ukraine, including with narratives about the alleged development of chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine. And China helped Moscow spread this disinformation and thus supported Russia's outrageous lies, the ambassador said.

20:39 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov: World must respond to 'nuclear terrorism' resorted to by Russian occupiers.

The world must react to the seizure of two Ukrainian nuclear power plants by Russian invaders as nuclear terrorism, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov has said.

"What is happening at our two plants, which are currently captured by terrorists, is called nuclear terrorism. And the world should have reacted to it in this way. But so far, some countries are helping us a lot, and some are pretending that nothing is happening. But I can say when trouble comes to these countries, then they will realize what they have done," Danilov said during the national telethon on Friday.

Danilov said that the IAEA should control all nuclear stations and facilities. "This is their function, but, unfortunately, today a lot of global, European institutions behave like cowards. This must be recognized," the NSDC Secretary said.

19:44 The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky: 78 children killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine

A total of 78 children were killed as a result of attacks launched by Russian troops during the war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his address to the Polish parliament on Friday, March 11 - Ukrinform reports.

"It is believed that the number 7 brings happiness. That's how many neighbors God has given Ukraine. Does it bring us happiness? The whole world knows the answer today. And 78 Ukrainian children who died from missiles and shelling by Russia know this answer better than others. A neighbor who brought trouble and war to our land. A neighbor who obviously acts without God," he said.

19.20 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Operational information on 18.00, 11.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion to Ukraine

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

The enemy continues to conduct an offensive operation against Ukraine.

At the same time, the russian invaders did not achieve the main goals of capturing certain cities and territories. There is a high probability that the russian federation will intensify terrorist methods of hostilities, launch missile and bomb strikes on civilian infrastructure, residential areas, intimidate the local population, conduct informational, psychological actions to undermine public confidence in local government, dissemination of misinformation , taking the local population hostage.

Units of the occupying forces do not stop trying to continue the offensive in all directions. To do this, it takes measures to form and reconcile reserves in the russian federation. A significant part of russian units are restoring combat capability.

The enemy is trying to establish logistical support for units and units conducting hostilities.

The Russian occupiers continue to conduct air reconnaissance of the positions of our troops in the Donetsk, Tavriya, Pivdennobuzhsky and Bessarabian operational areas.

In order to involve the Republic of Belarus in the war against Ukraine, the enemy resorted to provocative actions. According to available information, the aircraft of the Air Force of the russian federation struck the settlements on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, located near the state border of Ukraine. In order to disguise the russian federation carried out an attack from the airspace of Ukraine.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, in close cooperation with other components of the security and defense sector, are repelling the occupiers, inflicting significant losses on manpower and military equipment.

The moral and psychological state of the enemy is extremely low. It is demoralized, in some areas the occupiers surrender.

18:30 Deputy head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko: Melitopol Mayor allegedly kidnapped by Russian occupiers.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the President's Office, said Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was kidnapped by Russians, according to preliminary information. Melitopol is a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southeastern Ukraine.

Two hours prior to this Ivan Fedorov posted his gratitude to all Melitopol businesses and entrepreneurs for their help.

18:20 Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko: About1,800 people evacuated from Bucha, 1,000 residents of Hostomel arrive in Bilohorodka.

On Friday, March 11, 1,800 people were evacuated from Bucha (Kyiv region), accompanied by the Ukrainian Red Cross, 1,000 residents of Hostomel arrived in Bilohorodka (Kyiv region).

"About 1,800 people from Bucha were evacuated today, accompanied by the Ukrainian Red Cross. The wounded from the Bucha hospital were also taken to a safe place. 1,000 residents of Hostomel arrived in Bilohorodka. First aid is provided on the site," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to him, at the moment, further logistics are being provided in Kyiv and, if necessary, to the west of Ukraine.

17:40 The adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Arestovych to all the Belarussians in his video message: “Don’t make yourselves get involved in this war. You don’t need it”.

In his speech Arestovych asks not to fight against Ukraine mentioning air provocation which involved Russian combat jet striking Belorussian settlement from Ukrainian sky. “We are not going to fight against Belarussians, don’t get involved in this criminal adventure, which Russians are deliberately provoking”. Full video (Russian) below:

17:00 Separate Tractor Battalion keeps pushing.

Earlier today one Ukrainian farmer has captured 9T217 transloader for the 9K33 Osa

16:20 The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with a note ‼WARNING! IMPORTANTLY‼: The enemy attacked Belarusian territory on the border with Ukraine

Assault aircraft SU, with a flight into Ukraine from Belarus, carried out the bombing of Ukrainian territory and then inflicted air strikes on the territory of Belarus.

The arrival of 2 planes from the neighboring state was recorded by border guards serving at the "Dubrovytsia" branch in the Rivne region.

Such an attack and actions of the enemy on the settlements of Belarus are a deliberate provocation to involve the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus in the war with Ukraine!

16:02 Russian captured pilot Maxim Krishtop on press-conference: the Russian bombed the peaceful objects of Kharkov with high-explosive free-fall bombs. “Aerial high-explosive and free-falling bombs caliber 250 and 500 kg were used against peaceful objects in Kharkiv,” said the captured pilot. According to him, the radius of destruction of such bombs is 60 meters.

15:30 The adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak: The Russian Federation intends to implement the "Syrian scenario" in Ukraine.

Russian officials stated involving 16,000 former Islamic State fighters in the war against Ukraine in addition to chemical attack threat, which is considered to be a direct implementation of the “Syrian scenario”

This opinion was expressed by the adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podoliak.

"Russian officials, including minister Shoigu, announced the hasty recruitment of 16,000 ex-ISIS fighters to be used against Ukrainian civilians. Hiring ISIS and Russian propaganda claims about chemical weapons testify to an attempt to implement the ‘Syrian scenario’ in Ukraine," Podoliak said.

Moreover, there have already been responds from so-called basharist army volunteers alongside with soldiers from the Central African Republic to join Russia in the war against Ukraine.

As reported, on March 11, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that allegedly "more than 16,000 people from the Middle East" are willing to help the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" fight against Ukraine.

15:23 Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence: According to information available, Vladimir Putin has ordered the preparation of a terrorist attack on the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. The Russian-controlled Chornobyl nuclear power plant plans to create a man-made catastrophe, for which the occupiers will try to shift responsibility on Ukraine. That is, as he is not getting the desired result from the military ground operation or direct negotiations, Putin is ready to resort to nuclear blackmail against the world community for the sake of concessions in support of Ukraine. Now, Ukraine, the world, and Russia itself understand that the statements about Ukraine's involvement in the creation of a nuclear threat are just a staging of a mediocre scenario.

15:00 Ukrainian Telegram channel “Seek for your people” (“Ищи своих”): Another Russian Major General killed in Ukraine.

Earlier today, the official Ukrainian Telegram channel for Russians to look out for their relatives among the captured and KIA (“Ищи своих”) has posted the information about one more KIA Russian high-ranking officer

Russian major general Andrei Kolesnikov used to be the Commander of the 29th Combined Arms Army. Russia hasn’t confirmed the information yet.

14:19 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky: Ukraine expects new sanctions against Russia after devastating city bombings. "Humanitarian catastrophe – two words that have become a full-fledged synonym for other two words. Synonymous with the Russian Federation," he said.

At night, the invaders bombed a shoe factory, an apartment building and a kindergarten in Dnipro. For what? How did they threaten the Russian state? They destroyed residential buildings in the villages of Sumy region. They continued to torture Mariupol residents. Kharkiv. They fired missiles at Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk," he said in a video message on Friday afternoon.

According to the president, "if this continues, then the sanctions packages against Russia are not enough. I expect new sanctions decisions of our partners already today." "Russia must pay for this terrible war. Pay daily!" he said.

13:14 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Russian military invasion is underway, now Kyiv, Mariupol, and advancement in Kryvyi Rih, Kremenchug, Nikopol and Zaporizhia remain the main areas of concentration of efforts of Russian troops

12:59 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny: Since the beginning of the war, Russia has fired 328 Iskander and Kalibr, TochkaU and X-class operational-tactical land- and sea-based missiles at civilian settlements in Ukraine.

Zaluzhny emphasized that this "bloody crime of the Putin regime" is a flagrant violation of the norms of International Humanitarian Law and requires an investigation by The Hague Tribunal.

12:11 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has approved mobilisation of volunteers in the war against Ukraine. RIA news informed. According to Putin: "If you see people who want to volunteer – especially without financial remuneration – to go and help the people of Donbas, you have to accommodate their wish and help them reach the zone of military action."

11:40 Yurii Pohuliaiko, Head of the Volyn Regional State Administration: The number of fatalities from the Lutsk airfield attack has risen to 2, and 6 people are wounded. According to Pohuliaiko, a Russian bomber fired 4 missiles. The two fatalities were both servicemen. The wounded have been taken to hospital.

11:00 The Ukrainian military seized a Russian-made UAV "Aileron-3SV". This is a short-range drone designed for aerial optoelectronic reconnaissance. The trophy "Aileron-3SV" has the number 2382. "Our military destroyed an enemy armored vehicle and found a drone in it," the Ukrainian military said.

10:50 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 11.03.

For now, the list of total enemy's combat losses is the following:

Personnel - more than 12 000,

Tanks ‒ 353 units,

APV ‒ 1165 units,

Artillery systems – 125 units,

MLRS - 58 units,

Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 31 units,

Aircraft – 57 units,

Helicopters – 83 units,

Vehicles - 558 units,

Boats / cutters - 3 units,

Fuel tanks - 60,

UAV operational-tactical level - 7.

Data are being updated. The calculation is complicated by the high intensity of hostilities.

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

10:18 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, interview with Die Zeit: Volodymyr Zelensky considers the threat to use Russian nuclear weapons in case of Western intervention in the Ukrainian-Russian war a bluff.

"I think it's a bluff. It's one thing to be a murderer, and another thing to be suicidal. Any use of nuclear weapons means the end not only for the person who uses them, but also for everything that, in principle, can be valuable for this person," he said in an interview with Die Zeit published on Thursday, Interfax Ukraine reported.

09:45 An adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Mykhailo Podoliak: Russia's destructive war against civilians, major Ukrainians cities continues

The destructive war of the Russian Federation against ordinary citizens and major cities of Ukraine continues.

Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, wrote on Twitter,commenting on a series of new explosions in Ukrainian cities, Ukrinform reports.

“Ukrainian big cities are again subjected to devastating blows. The first explosions took place in Lutsk shutting down two boiler houses. Ivano-Frankivsk - three powerful explosions. Dnipro is also under attack. Russia's destructive war against civilians and major Ukrainians cities continues,” he wrote.

Earlier Mayor of Lutsk Ihor Polischuk said that Russian aggressors attacked the city on Friday morning, three rockets hit the airfield, there is a dead person.

"Three missiles hit the airfield. There is a deceased. Information about the wounded and dead is being specified. The State Emergency Service workers are on site. The alarm did not work - the military will sort it out. Please do not shoot or distribute photos and videos of explosions, this can be used by the enemy," Polischuk said in a video message.

This morning the city of Dnipro also came under rocket fire. At least one person was killed. Several explosions were also heard in the city of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk.

As reported, early in the morning on March 11, explosions were heard in Ivano-Frankivsk. For some reason, there was no air raid alert.

“Explosions were heard in Frankivsk. The military and the State Emergency Service are working. Details will be released later! React to sirens,” the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk Ruslan Martsinkiv said in his statement on Facebook.

09:25 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky: No chemical or other weapons of mass destruction developed in Ukraine – Zelensky

No chemical or other weapons of mass destruction developed in Ukraine – Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that no one in Ukraine has developed any weapons of mass destruction.

"I am an adequate person. The president of an adequate country and an adequate people. And the father of two children. And no chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction have been developed on my land. The whole world knows this. YOU know this," he said on Thursday evening in a video message addressing the invaders.

At the same time, Zelensky noted that he was very concerned about the accusations of Ukraine by the Russian media. "This worries me very much, because more than once we were convinced: if you want to know about Russia's plans, look at what Russia accuses others of. Look, the dispersal of such accusations in the Russian media shows that it is THEY who are capable of this. The Russian military, the Russian special services. It shows that they want it," he said.

"What are these accusations of preparing chemical attacks? You decided to 'de-chemicalize' Ukraine? With ammonia? Phosphorus? What else have you prepared for us? Where will you hit with chemical weapons? At the maternity hospital in Mariupol? Or – at laboratories, most of which have been left since Soviet times and are engaged in ordinary science. Ordinary! AND NOT military technologies," Zelensky said.

08:39 Explosions heard in Ivano-Frankivsk

Early in the morning on March 11, explosions were heard in Ivano-Frankivsk. For some reason, there was no air raid alert.

Ivano-Frankivsk Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv wrote this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

“Explosions were heard in Frankivsk. The military and the State Emergency Service are working. Details will be released later! React to sirens,” the mayor wrote.

Some eyewitnesses wrote in the comments that the explosions took place near the airport.

As reported, this morning the city of Dnipro has came under rocket fire. At least one person was killed.

Several explosions were also heard in the city of Lutsk.

07:56 The State Emergency Service of Ukraine: At least one person killed in Russian air strike on Dnipro

The city of Dnipro came under rocket fire. At least one person was killed.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine wrote this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

Three air strikes were reported at about 06:10 in Novokadatskyi district of Dnipro. Shells hit a kindergarten, an apartment building and a two-storey shoe factory.

Rescuers are working on the scene trying to put out the fire.

07.40 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Operational information on 06.00, 11.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion to Ukraine

The sixteenth day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people against the russian military invasion has begun.

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

There have been no significant changes in the position of our troops and enemy troops in the last six hours.

Regarding the actions of the enemy. Aggressive russian propaganda is beginning to work actively in the temporarily occupied territories. By spreading pro-russian messages, the occupiers are trying to reach an agreement with the local population.

In the Kherson region, the enemy is trying to introduce an administrative-police regime, creating a system of commandant's offices to maintain "order" in the temporarily occupied settlements.

During the clashes with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which continue in the Chernihiv region, the invaders continue to suffer significant losses. As a result, the personnel of the occupying forces in this area have been demoralized and are being taken prisoner.

In some settlements, the enemy, in violation of international humanitarian law, commits robberies, hostages and executions of civilians.

In the urgent need to replenish units of the russian Armed Forces and other illegally created terrorist armed groups, in the Rostov region, in correctional colonies, there is continues a work among prisoners with a proposal to join the occupying forces in exchange for amnesty. The armed forces of the russian federation is ready to take everyone for the service, even those who have no experience of military service.

07:15 The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine: About 215,000 citizens returned to Ukraine from abroad

About 215,000 citizens have returned to Ukraine from other countries, 80% of whom are men, according to spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko.

“As of today, 215,000 Ukrainians have returned home from abroad. Of course, most of them are men, mostly 80%,” Demchenko said.

He added that passenger traffic on the borders with the European Union and Moldova "remained intensive."

"Over the past 24 hours, about 118,000 people have crossed the border, of course, the vast majority - women, children," the spokesman said.

06:45 US Congress passes $13.6B in emergency aid for Ukraine and its allies

Following the House of Representatives, the US Senate passed a $1.5 trillion spending bill, which also includes $13.6 billion in emergency funding to support Ukraine and NATO's Eastern-flank allies.

The voting in the upper house of the US Congress took place late on Thursday evening, - Ukrinform reportes.

Some 68 lawmakers supported the bill, 31 voted against. It was important to pass the document, which includes a large-scale package of funding for US government agencies, by Friday, the deadline to avoid a shutdown.

The bill, in particular, provides assistance of $13.6 billion, including more than $3 billion to support the US European Command mission, the deployment of US troops in the region, support for intelligence, strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities.

The package also includes $4 billion in humanitarian support, refugee assistance, and emergency food and healthcare.

06.15 US president Joe Biden will ratchet up the economic pressure on Russia's lider Vladimir Putin on Friday, March 11, by calling for the end of normal trade relations with Russia – The Guardian reports, citing Reuters and Bloomberg.

The move, reported by Reuters and Bloomberg citing anonymous Biden administration sources, would clear the way for increased tariffs on Russian imports and comes on top of widespread sanctions and the decision this week to ban oil imports from Russia by the US and UK.

Removing Russia’s status of “permanent normal trade relations” will require an act of Congress, one senior administration official told Reuters. But lawmakers in both houses of Congress have expressed support for such a move.

Outlawing all US trade with Russia would deepen the already serious economic problems facing Putin’s regime.

Earlier on Thursday, March 10, US Vice President Kamala Harris beeing in Poland embraced calls for an investigation into possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

“Absolutely there should be an investigation into possible Russian war crimes,” - Kamala Harris stated.

05. 45 Economic adviser to the President of Ukraine: Loss from Russia’s Agression against Ukraine accounts for half of country's gross domestic product and tops $100B, says president's economic adviser.

Russian forces have so far destroyed $100 billion worth of buildings, infrastructure and other physical assets in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s economic adviser Oleg Ustenko said on Thursdayv, March 10 - Anadolu Agency reports.

Oleg Ustenko said in a statement that the war has also caused 50% of Ukrainian businesses to shut down completely.

Noting that the remaining businesses are continuing their activities with difficulty, Ustenko said the $100 billion in losses accounts for half of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

He said Russian assets frozen in foreign banks, including reserves of Russia’s central bank, should be given for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

At least 549 civilians have been killed and 957 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to UN figures. But the international body has maintained that conditions on the ground have made it "difficult to verify" the true number of civilian casualties.

More than 2.3 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.

Chronicle of the Russian Federation Crimes in Ukraine

05.10 The council of the European Union has “acknowledged the European aspirations” of Ukraine with EU leaders agreeing to support Ukraine in “pursuing its European path”.

European council president Charles Michel said “without delay” EU leaders “will further strengthen our bonds and deepen our partnership to support Ukraine in pursuing its European path” – The Guardian reports.

In a statement the council said:

The European Council acknowledged the European aspirations and the European choice of Ukraine ... The Council has acted swiftly and invited the Commission to submit its opinion on this application in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Treaties. Pending this and without delay, we will further strengthen our bonds and deepen our partnership to support Ukraine in pursuing its European path. Ukraine belongs to our European family.

The council commended the people of Ukraine “for their courage in defending their country and our shared values of freedom and democracy”.

We will not leave them alone. The EU and its Member States will continue to provide coordinated political, financial, material and humanitarian support. We are committed to provide support for the reconstruction of a democratic Ukraine once the Russian onslaught has ceased.”

Russia, and its accomplice Belarus, bear full responsibility for this war of aggression and those responsible will be held to account for their crimes, including for indiscriminately targeting civilians and civilian objects, the statement added.

04:25 Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna Ukraine at OSCE Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk: Several diplomatic institutions come under aggressor’s fire

Since the Russian invasion started, Russian troops have shelled a building of Greece’s Consulate General and an office of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Mariupol, as well as the honorary consulates of Slovenia, Azerbaijan and Albania in Kharkiv.

The relevant statement was made by Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.

“It looks like Russia wants to ‘liberate’ Ukraine from diplomatic missions as well. Over a few days, as a result of Russian missile and air strikes, a building of Greece’s Consulate General and an office of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Mariupol have been damaged. In addition, the honorary consulates of Slovenia, Azerbaijan and Albania in Kharkiv were destroyed,” Tsymbaliuk told.

In his speech, Tsymbaliuk also noted Russia’s acts of nuclear terrorism and the seizure of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

“The only grid providing the supply of power for Chornobyl NPP and its nuclear facilities has been damaged. The situation is getting extremely dangerous. Putin’s barbaric war is threatening the entire Europe. He must be stopped!” Tsymbaliuk stressed.

According to Tsymbaliuk, Russia has trapped itself and has to come up with new and new excuses to continue its aggressive war against Ukraine. In his words, these excuses are not for the international community, which understands everything, but for the Russian people to keep the Kremlin regime alive. In a few days, Russia may even declare that it was Ukraine that started the war.

“In order to survive, Russia needs to stop the war, withdraw its troops and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea, and, of course, take responsibility for all the crimes committed against the Ukrainian people, as well as provide guarantees that aggression will not repeat,” Tsymbaliuk noted.

03:41 The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed two columns of enemy vehicles and 10 air targets over day 15th of full-scale war with Russia

On March 10, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have destroyed two columns of enemy military vehicles and 10 air targets.

The relevant statement was made by the Air Forces’s Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, - Ukrinform reports.

“Over the past day, 10 air targets and two columns of enemy vehicles have been hit,” the report states.

During this period, bombarder and attack aircrafts of the Air Forces, with the fire support of the helicopters of the Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, dealt a devastating blow to two large columns of Russian military vehicles. According to the preliminary data, it was a whole regiment of airborne troops with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, Grad systems, etc.

According to the data from the anti-aircraft missile forces, four air targets were hit, namely Russia’s three Su-25 aircrafts and Su-34 aircraft, which was unable to reach an airfield and crashed in Russia afterwards.

According to the data from the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they hit at least four air targets, mainly Su-25 aircrafts.

“There is also good information from the Ground Forces, confirmed by photo materials, which downed two Su-25 assault aircrafts of the Russian occupation troops in different directions, including one of them – with American Stinger,” the command center noted.

In addition, the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles destroyed a Buk M-1 missile system and other targets.

02.40 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Operational information on 24.00, 10.03.2022 regarding the russian invasion to Ukraine

The 15th day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the Russian military invasion continues. The Ukrainian defense forces are giving a decent rebuff and holding back the offensive operation of the Russian armed forces in all directions.

On Thursday, March 10, the invaders tried to fortify their positions on the occupied frontiers, regrouped troops, restored combat capability, replenished stocks of missiles, ammunition and fuel.

Due to the significant losses of personnel and a slowdown in the offensive, the enemy continues to form the reserves in Russia.

In the Polissia direction, the enemy is trying to break through the defenses of Ukraine's military in the vicinity of Poliske, Kukhari, Zhovtneve, Andriyivka, Kopyliv, Motyzhyn, Buzova, Horenychi, Bucha, Demydiv, and to block Kyiv.

In the northern direction, the enemy was stopped while trying to break through the defense of Chernihiv. Further movement of the enemy in the direction of Brovary from the east is not excluded.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy continues unsuccessful attempts to blockade the city from the north. Rifle regiments formed at the expense of Russian reservists were involved in the fighting near Kharkiv.

In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, the invaders are concentrating their efforts on capturing the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Sievierodonetsk.

In the Southern Bug direction, the invaders tried to gain a foothold on the occupied frontiers, take control of the city of Mykolaiv, and continue an offensive in the directions of Zaporizhia and Kryvyi Rih.

Russian troops have been halted, demoralized and suffered heavy losses.

In the Black Sea and Azov operational zones, weather conditions were favorable for the Ukrainian side and forced the invaders' ships to return to their bases.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, in close cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces, are frantically resisting Russian interventionists, inflicting significant losses on their manpower and military equipment.

01:03 Verkhovna Rada: the Russian Federation has committed another act of nuclear terrorism, written in the statement by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.

"In the evening of March 10, 2022, the aggressor country again bombed a research nuclear installation - the nuclear subcritical installation "Neutron Source, based on a subcritical assembly controlled by a linear electron accelerator" (hereinafter - “Neutron Source”) located in the national scientific centre "Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology" (Kharkiv)"

According to preliminary information, provided by the nuclear inspectorate, the "Neutron Source" is completely de-energized and there is surface damage to the building. Currently, information on the consequences of damage is being clarified by the staff of the "Neutron Source".

Also, the statement mentions a previous shelling of the research facility on March 6, that resulted in the following damage: completely destroyed substation RU-0.4 kV; damaged cables of air conditioner cooling systems of the enema gallery of the linear electron accelerator; damaged heating main to the building complex and structures of nuclear facility "Source of neutrons"; some surface damage.

01:00 Ukrainian MFA: Russia might be preparing another false flag operation featuring a chemical attack, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

"The manic obsession with which various Russian officials fantasize about non-existent biological or chemical weapons or hazards in Ukraine is deeply troubling and may actually point at Russia preparing another horrific false flag operation."

Background:

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