Russian invasion of Ukraine: tanks and rocket attacks on the cities. Breaking news

During last night the Russians ruined houses in Rubizhne, there are two killed ones, Sergiy Gaidai writes. There can be more victims due to difficult conditions the rescuers started to disassemble blockages later. The Russians do not stop their efforts to occupy the town.

They lack firemen for such number of simultaneous ignitions. Total during last 24 hours in Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Rubiznhe five people have been killed, 8 more people have been injured, 18 citizens of the region have been rescued.

Yesterday in Bulgarian capital Sofia there was a mass march to support Ukraine.

Finland can apply to enter NATO in several months, DW writes citing ex-Prime Minister of the country.  According to him, because of the war in Ukraine, the society opinions have changed radically: if earlier 50% were against joining NATO and 20% were for it, today 62% are for joining NATO and 16% are against.

European Union demands from Russia to spot the war immediately, recognizes European ambitions of Ukraine and creates a Trust fund to support it now and for renovation after the military actions. This is said in the conclusions of the meeting of the European Council that were published by the press service of this institution.

New Summary from the General Staff:

The Joined Forces hold a stable defense operation in Donetsk, Slobozhansk and part of Tavrijsjkyy directions, focusing main energy on preventing the enemy from a breakthrough. During last 24 hours 9 enemy’s attack have been repealed, 12 tanks, about 20 pcs of armed and automobile vehicles, 9 artillery systems have been destroyed. The enemy lost more than 200 militants. The air defense divisions have hit 2 aircrafts and 2 drones of the enemy.

In Siverschyna region the defense continues. Groups of AFU hold Chernihiv and restrain progress of the enemy in Kyiv direction.

Kyiv defense continues and the enemy attacks are repealed, as well as inflicting fire damages to the enemy and keeping the positions taken by AFU.

In the South a defense operation in the defined zone continues, a stabilizing operation is in the process, tasks on territorial defense are fulfilled.

The four of Russian officials have been charged with holding two separate hacking attacks targeted at the critical infrastructure in the energy sector in the whole world, FBI writes.

A Ukrainian start up in online education sphere, Preply published an article on differences of the Ukrainian and the Russian language, explained why it is not the same using history and language evolution.

Most important that happened during the night :

• An Italian social legal media RAI will air programs only in Ukraine starting from today. This decision is connected to the fact that during last weeks refugees from Ukraine arrive. This is the way the channel wants to support the Ukrainians and deliver them important information.
• Biris Johnson declared in a BBC interview that Ukraine in the war with Russia "can certainly win". He is not optimistic that a Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wants peace.
• Ukraine urgently applied to USA to provide 500 Javelins and 500 Stingers per day, CNN writes.
• March 25, Joe Biden will visit a Polish village Riashiv which is situated 80 kilometres from the border with Ukraine, they informed in White House.
• According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence, more and more Russian soldiers join the Ukrainian side and reject to take part in the war against Ukraine. This was informed by the Main Directorate of Intelligence in Telegram.
• Great Britain Authorities added a daughter of Lavrov - Polina Poliakova- to a sanctions list. An apartment was confiscated, the accounts were blocked and the visa was cancelled from hers. That was informed by the Head of the President 's Office Andriy Ermak.
• For the first 30 years France increase presence of nuclear submarines as the answer to Russian threats and keeps on duty three submarines simultaneously. The Times writes citing the Telegramme.
• In temporary occupied Kherson a deputy of Korabelna district council was kidnapped, the Head of the fraction "European Solidarity" Dmyto Afanasiev.
• Russia continues to kill civilians including children, this was written by the Head of Donetsk SRA Pavlo Kyrylenko.
  Joe Biden informed that USA are ready to accept up to 100000 refugees from Ukraine.
• Izyum is not captured by Russia as they informed it in its media. The maximum that it captured is a memorial to killed soldiers in World War II. - Arestovych.
• In Mykolaiv and Odesa another titles of State Emergency Service of Ukraine workers have been assigned and awarded.
• AFU hit "important targets" in the occupied districts of Ukraine. Among those targets - a landing ship and military ammunition stocks in the occupied Berdiansk port, this was written by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in its Twitter.
• Kremlin can give an order to use tactical nuclear weapon and strike the territory of Poland, somewhere in crowded place. This was declared by the ex Command of NATO United Forces in Europe Wesley Clark.

Details of the offensive in Karabakh. 

It is noted that the information headquarters of the NKR, which is not recognised in the world, said that Azerbaijani troops in the direction of the village of Parukh in the Askeran district had allegedly violated the line of contact. They later claimed that the situation in the villages of Parukh and Khramort is under the control of Russian troops, who have been stationed there since November 2020 after the end of the second Karabakh war.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry described Azerbaijan's actions as 'aggressive' and said they violate the ceasefire signed in November 2020. Yerevan expects Russian troops to take steps to immediately return Azerbaijani troops to their previous positions.

The curfew in Zaporizhzhya is for a day and a half. It will start at 8 p.m. on Saturday, 26 March, and end at 05 a.m. on Monday, 28 March. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhzhya Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Starukh 

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the Polish deputy prime minister and leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, has laid down principles for refugees from Ukraine: we deserve help, but we will not ask for it. The Polish daily onet writes about it. 

"We have a rule - no relocation. If someone wants to stay here, they stay, and when they want to leave, they go. We are not forcing anyone to do anything," Kaczynski notes.

In the second principle "we do not ask" the Polish deputy prime minister said that Poland would not ask for help from the EU, although it deserves it. He stressed that the country is in absolutely good condition, more than three times richer than at the beginning of the 1990s and three times richer per capita than Ukraine.

The occupiers fired heavy artillery at the outskirts of Vyshgorod, damaging one of the multi-storey buildings, the Kyiv regional police has reported. According to preliminary reports, there are no casualties. 

The Saratov (not Orsk) airborne ship that was destroyed today had 20 tanks, 45 APCs and 400 personnel on board - Arestovych.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's demand that the EU and the US pay for Russian gas in rubles, Politico writes. 

"We have looked at this situation to try to get a universal view. What we have learned so far is that there are fixed contracts everywhere that include the currency in which payments are made. And in most cases it is euros or dollars, and that is what matters," Scholz added.

Hostilities have resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani media report. 

"The Azerbaijani armed forces violated the line of contact today (March 24 - Ed.) at about 4 p.m. in the direction of the village of Parukh of Askeran region," Radio Azatutyun said.

The country's defence ministry denies the claim of an offensive, Azerbaijani news agency Report says.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy recorded a video address to the European Council:

"I addressed the European Council and the peoples of Europe and stressed that Ukraine did not go to a foreign land. It has never dreamed of any war. It shoots down missiles. It calls on foreigners to give up their arms and go back home. For the sake of life. Ukraine has united for peace. And also for peace it unites the world," said the President in his address to the European Council.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, commented on awarding the title "Hero City of Ukraine" to Okhtyrka.

"For me Okhtyrka has been a hero since the first days of the war. The first city in Sumy region, which for five days had fiercely repulsed the enemy outside the city. The city paid a super high price in human lives for its freedom," Zhyvytskyy wrote in his telegram channel. 

The head of the RMA thanked every Okhtyrka resident who, from the early days of the war, defended the town on their front lines and thanks to whom the town continues to live on. They are military personnel, medics, volunteers, bakers, drivers and others. Special thanks went to Pavlo Kuzmenko, chairman of the community.

Canada has imposed sanctions on 160 members of the Russian Federation Council, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in a statement on the government website. 

The Canadian government sanctions include an asset freeze and prohibit Canadian citizens and individuals from doing any business with the sanctioned individuals.

Video of Ukrainian troops hitting Russian army in Chornobaivka for the tenth time:

Operational update from the Ukrainian General Staff for 24.03.2022 on the Russian invasion:

The occupier's objectives failed. According to their plans, they should have reached the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, surrounded Kyiv and established control over the left-bank part of Ukraine. The adversary partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational area regarding the continuation of a temporary land corridor between Rostov Region and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The large airborne ship Saratov has been destroyed in Berdyansk , the Azov operating zone. The large airborne shipsCaesar Kunikov and Novocherkassk sustained damage. Such enemy losses were sustained during a strike on the besieged port of Berdyansk, which was seized by the occupiers. Other losses are being clarified.

In the Volyn direction, the enemy made no offensive action.

In the Polissya direction, the enemy continued to launch artillery and air strikes, and tries to restore its forces in the areas of Kyiv and Makariv.

In the North direction, the enemy with the help of certain units tries to concentrate forces and means to restore the offensive actions. It makes unsuccessful attempts to blockade Chernihiv.

In the Brovary direction, the enemy has switched to defence, and is engineering the positions. The probability of another offensive attempt in the direction of Brovary and Boryspil to blockade the capital of Ukraine, the city of Kyiv, from the eastern direction remains.

In the Slobozhansky direction the enemy is blockading the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv. It is targeting civilian infrastructure. Attempts to resume offensives near Izyum, suffering losses.
It is noted that some units of occupation troops operating in the area have withdrawn to the Russian Federation due to losses of over 50 per cent of their personnel.

In the Donetsk direction the enemy holds its ground. The main efforts are concentrated on capturing the towns of Popasna, Rubizhne and Mariupol, with no success.

In the Zaporizhzhya direction, up to five BTGr forces moved to the defensive.

In the South Bug direction, the enemy forces occupy established defensive lines, attempting to restore combat readiness of units and replenish records.

The title "Hero City of Ukraine" was awarded to the cities of Bucha, Irpin, Mykolaiv and Okhtyrka.

The 30th day of the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recorded a new address.

"If russia knew what was in store for them, I am sure they would have been afraid to come here indeed. In this month we have kept all the main directions of Russian strikes, the world has applied devastating sanctions, we are working further - we are negotiating new ones," the president said

Kyiv, Kyiv and Ternopil region - air-raid alert has been cancelled!

A Ukrainian rally will take place in Warsaw during Biden's visit.

The rally will demand that NATO introduce a no-fly zone over Ukraine or provide Ukraine with fighter jets.

Date: 25 March, 17:00 local time.
Venue: Warsaw, Palace of Culture and Science, entrance from Marszałkowska Street.

Ternopil region - air-raid alert!

Russian occupiers have launched a missile attack on a military unit in Dnipropetrovsk, the Dnipropetrovsk State Emergency Service has reported. There are two fires, the unit's buildings were significantly destroyed. Information about the dead and injured is being established. The type of missiles used in the strike is also being identified. 

Air-raid alert! In Kyiv and the region!

What was happening in the skies over Ukraine on 24 March, a summary from the AFU Air Force Command:

The occupier's aircraft were less active on 24 March.
There has been an increase in operational-level UAVs and others to conduct aerial reconnaissance
Unit of the AFU has already been dealt with - one UAV was hit by anti-aircraft missiles.
An enemy Su-34 fighter-bomber and four cruise missiles were destroyed in the Kharkiv region.

The East air command has reported an enemy missile strike in Dnipropetrovsk Region. Damage is being clarified. 

General Vyacheslav Abroskin says he is ready to surrender to the Russian occupiers in exchange for the opportunity to evacuate children from Mariupol.

"I appeal to the Russian occupiers - give me an opportunity to take the children out of Mariupol, instead of the children who are still alive I offer myself. Yes, I ask to be allowed into Mariupol to pick up children and organise their evacuation. I need three days in the city. At the last checkpoint during the way back with the children, I surrender myself... This is my personal initiative," the ex-chief of the National Police General wrote on Facebook.

The US is ready to accept more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, US President Joe Biden said in Brussels, DW reports. 

Already 650 shelters in Kyiv equipped with Wi-Fi. You can apply for the connection in the Kyiv Digital app or on the official platform.

Mykolayiv, Cherkasy, Kirovograd and Dnipropetrovsk regions - air-raid alert.

People are dying of hunger! Mariupol city council begs for help.

The information about Chernobayivka was confirmed by Arestovych. This is the tenth time the AFU has swept the Russians from there.

"At the moment there is a mass movement of Russian troops across the Antonovsky bridge - running away! Apparently, we've gutted someone in charge again," he wrote.

Cherkasy region - air-raid alert!

Diplomatic intrigue. Russia tried to win votes from a resolution proposed by Ukraine at the UN General Assembly by coercing one of the countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

We are talking about the resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Ukrainian draft was approved with 140 votes. The scenario of the Russians managed to fail.

The minister did not specify the country.

"I want all Russian military servicemen who hear my appeal to know that we will not let anyone escape punishment for the crimes committed. No one! Don't think that your names are unknown to us" - Iryna Vereshchuk.

Vereshchuk: Have sent a request to RF to free abducted representatives of local governments. These are their names:

• Bezlyudna Tetyana — deputy of Andriyivka village council, Chernihiv region;
• Vasyliev Dmytro – secretary of Nova Kakhovka city council;
• Karaberov Volodymyr – head of Mangush territorial community, Mariupil region;
• Kartzan Oleksij – head of Hremyach village, Kharkic region;
• Marunjak Victor – head of Stara Zburivka village, Kherson region;
• Matveev Evhen – mayor of Dniprorudnyj;
• Musienko Oleksandr – head of Chulakivsk RTC, Kherson region;
• Paluh Jurij – secretary of Skadovsk city council, Kherson region;
• Ponomarev Oleksandr – people's deputy of OPZZh (OPFL), disappeared in Berdyansk;
• Pryjma Serhij – head of Melitopil regional council;
• Samojdjuk Ivan – first deputy of Energodar city mayor;
• Sikalenko Mykola – head of Tzyrkunivsk RTC, Kharkiv region;
• Tjurin Volodymyr – deputy of Schastynsk CMA, Donetzk region;
• Schapovalov Oleksandr – mayor of Beryslava, Kherson region.

All seven humanitarian corridors on March 24 worked, Iryna Vereshchuk informs.

• A total of 3 343 people were evacuated.
• 2 171 people left Mariupil.

All the drivers and rescuers of the SESU captured in Mangush 2 days ago were freed, – Vereshchuk.

The Head of Mykolaiv RSA Vitalij Kim hints that russians have had the next round of adventures in Chornobaivka.

The USA and the EU agreed to provide large volumes of liquefied gas to the European Union, Kuleba informs.

"If in the first few days sanctions hit the Russian economy with a huge hammer, now each new round of sanctions tightens the nuts," Dmytro Kuleba says.

"Today we were in an active diplomatic offense on all geographical fronts," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba.

Additional evacuation railway flights for March 25.

Kyiv, Darnytsa:

• 9:00 – Intercity+ Kyiv – Lviv;
• 17:00 – Intercity+ Kyiv – Lviv.

Kharkiv:

• 8:00 – Intercity+ Kharkiv – Lviv;
• 11:30 – №209/210 Kharkiv – Ivano-Frankivsk;
• 15:00 – Intercity+ Kharkiv – Lviv.

Dnipro:

• 20:00 – №234/233 Dnipro – Chop.

Kramatorsk:

• 13:00 – №290/289 Kramatorsk – Lviv;
• 16:00 – №292/291 Kramatorsk – Lviv.

Additional railway flight will also departure from Odesa to Uzhhorod at 22:32.

Kyiv citizens are asked to close their windows for the night and do not open them in the morning. Sviatoshynskyi and Holosiivskyi districts are smoke-filled due to a fire in Kyiv region.

How the surroundings of Irpin look after the month of russian attacks. Video, – Suspilne

Situation in JFO zone: Ukrainian fighters reflected nine enemy attacks over the last 24 hours.

Occupant loses:

• 12 tanks;
• nearly 20 pieces of armored and automotive equipment;
• 9 artillery systems;
• more than 200 people;
• 2 aircrafts and 2 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov had a phone call with United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Pentagon website informs.

They discussed the continuation of defense assistance, including $ 1 billion in aid recently announced by President Biden.

American Secretary “made it clear to understand that materials from the last announcement are now moving to the region”.

“Secretary of State Austin stressed on the constant determination of the USA to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine who protect their country from unprovoked invasion of Russia. He also praised the skill and courage with which such systems are being used by Ukrainian forces”, – the message states.