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

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in the NATO summit on 24 March in a video format.

Seven enemy attacks were successfully repelled in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions during the current day due to skilful actions and skills of servicemen of the United Forces grouping, the JFO has reported.

The Ukrainian defenders inflicted such losses on the Russian occupiers:

- 7 tanks;

- 2 IFVSS;

- 6 artillery systems;

- 2 UAVs;

- 7 vehicles.

Total losses of the invaders amounted to around 100 servicemen. Air defence units in the skies of Donbas shot down four enemy aircraft and a Tochka-U missile. Our soldiers also captured three enemy IFVs.

Belarus accused eight employees of the Ukrainian embassy in Minsk of espionage. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine says that the diplomats officially represented the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

The speaker of the KGB of Belarus announced the "liquidation of the residency" at the Ukrainian embassy. He did not explain what this meant. The expulsion of diplomats has not yet been announced.

Results of humanitarian corridors work on 22 March.

According to Iryna Vereshchuk, 1,100 Mariupol residents have been evacuated from the city of Berdyansk. They are now safe in Zaporizhzhya. The humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhya today reached 5,926 people in their own vehicles.

The occupation troops violated the agreements and did not allow buses to evacuate Mariupol residents from Nikolske village and Melekino village.

The is the first reasonable suspicion of raping women in the Kyiv region was presented to one of the Russian servicemen.

Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova informs that the Russian serviceman was presented a reasonable suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war. He is now wanted for war crimes and a request for his detention was filed with the court.

"In one of the villages of the Brovary district, this villain broke into a private house and shot the owner. After that, a drunken occupier and his colleague repeatedly raped the wife of a murdered civilian, threatening her with violence and weapons. He even threatened her young child, who was together with the victim," — Venediktova said.

Address from Mariupol by the Deputy Commander of the Azov National Guard Regiment, Kalyna.

Today, Azov and fighters of the 36th Brigade destroyed an enemy's operational-tactical UAV and an aircraft. Two tanks and enemy infantry were also destroyed.

"Heavy fighting in Mariupol continues, the Putin horde covers our land with their corpses which it has no intention to take away, and behind the infantry that are storming the city, there are shooting teams," — Kalyna said.

In Kyiv, operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police together with the Security Service of Ukraine and Territorial Defense detained two accomplices of the Russian occupiers, said the head of the National Police Ihor Klymenko. According to him, suspicious men were found at one of the checkpoints.

"They did not have any documents. They could not clearly state their personal information, they were constantly confusing names. But they had a notebook with tasks with them, weapons and military protective equipment," — Klymenko said.

He added that the detainees had a phone which was connected to the mobile operator of the Russian Federation and that there was active communication between the detainees and the subscribers of the aggressor country.

In addition, the DVR was turned on in the car. The detainees were transferred to the Security Service of Ukraine.

Russian occupiers launch cruise missiles from the occupied Crimea.

Veterans of the Marine Corps, the Territorial Defense forces and one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroying the Russian occupiers.

Children sing the anthem of Ukraine in the Kharkiv metro. Video by Serhiy Zhadan.

The head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration Oleksiy Kuleba commented the appeal of the mayor of Boryspil Volodymyr Borysenko to the citizens to leave the city if possible due to the possible danger.

Kuleba assures that Borysenko was talking about possible enemy attacks, for which the Ukrainian defenders are ready. According to him, currently the situation in Boryspil and the district is completely stable, calm and controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"No fighting is taking place in the district. No evacuations from the city or district are being organized, especially during the curfew. There is no need for that," — said the head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba reacted to the scandal in Baden-Baden (Germany) regarding Ihor Holod from Odesa who was fired from a restaurant after his video address against the Russian war.

"According to the available information, the management of the restaurant, which targets the Russian-speaking population of Baden-Baden, did not like the truth about the thousands of Ukrainian civilians killed, more than a hundred children murdered and dozens of cities destroyed by Russian troops.

My message to all "Putinverstehers" — Putin's supporters in Germany and other countries — you are the same as the pilots of Russian planes that kill Ukrainian civilians," — Kuleba wrote.

The occupiers seized an evacuation column near Mariupol, Iryna Vereshchuk said.

"Today in the corridor, which we tried to open again, the convoy of buses were captured by representatives of the "DNR". They are standing near Mangush, for now, they stopped there.

We are doing our best to free them. This is an approved corridor. The Red Cross also has agreed on it. Now people are being held hostage. They say that the equipment will be confiscated, and people may not be allowed leave", — she said.

Evgeniy Zhukov (better known by the nickname "Marshal"), a former deputy commander of one of battalions of the 79th Mykolaiv separate airmobile brigade, paratrooper and one of "cyborgs" (defenders of the Donetsk airport), deputy chief of the Department of patrol service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs address to the people of Belarus.

"Now the destruction of the Russian Empire has begun. Belarusians, join us!" — Zhukov said.

The United States and NATO believe that Belarus may soon join Russia in war against Ukraine, and that Minsk is already taking steps to do so. A source in the Belarusian opposition said that thousands of Belarusian servicemen are ready to enter Ukraine in the coming days.

Prisoner of War Lyha Eduard Yuriyovych, born in 1967, Makiyivka, Donetsk region. 127th Regiment, 4th Battalion, 1st Company, a doctor.

About 20 instances of shelling by Russian invaders have been reported in the Kyiv Region today, according to the Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Pavlyuk informs.

During the day, Brovary came under artillery fire. One shell hit the territory of a plant, damaging seven buses and ancillary buildings. No casualties have been reported so far.

In the village of Stari Petrovtsi, Vyshhorod District, the occupiers shelled one of the local enterprises.

The situation on the ground as of 6 PM on March 22: an update from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

- The enemy continued to shell the military and civilian infrastructure installations in Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Donetsk Region.

- The invaders carried out over 80 air sorties, including 29 from the Baranovichi and Bobruysk airfields on the territory of Belarus.

- The airstrikes involved bombers, ground support, and fighter aircraft. Also, the enemy used five reconnaissance planes.

- In the Black and Azov Sea operation zones, Russian Navy vessels were fulfilling their objectives in some areas of the Black Sea. Up to 5 ships of various types remained in the northeastern part of the Azov Sea to provide support for the invaders’ ground troops.

- Personnel of some Central Military District detachments was demoralized by heavy losses.

- Mass refusals on the part of Russian service members to participate in the war on Ukraine were reported again.

- According to the available information, about 220 people in the 155th Independent Marine Brigade refused to fight against Ukraine since the beginning of the hostilities.

- The enemy has substantial problems with logistics support in almost all directions.

The Russian Federation’s occupational army keeps suffering losses due to incompetently organized medical support. Specifically, it resulted in heavy losses for the 7th Air Assault Division of the Russian Air Assault Force.</>

As a result of the airstrike on a residential block in the Obolon District, two buildings and a lorry caught fire. One person was killed and three injured, according to Head of Kyiv Military Administration.

Also, the air defence forces managed to destroy another missile that could hit other targets in the city. Moreover, a Smerch MLRS missile fell into the Dnieper River undetonated. There were no casualties.

Russian army’s losses over 26 days of the full-on war in Ukraine have largely exceeded those of the Soviet military over 10 years of the War in Afghanistan, ArmiaInform reports.

15 residential buildings have been destroyed in the Luhansk Region today, with 1 person killed, 6 injured, and 33 rescued, Head of Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Haidai informs.

The Russian shelling was focused primarily on Rubizhne, Lysychansk, and Severodonetsk.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published an information-sharing safety FAQ.

- Why is it prohibited during the war to discuss or write publicly about Ukraine’s potential negotiations on supplies of military equipment, weaponry, ammunition and whatever for the Armed Forces of Ukraine? Because the Russian Federation makes every effort to derail the contracts.

- Why is it prohibited during the war to talk about the deliveries that have already happened and our forces having new weaponry? Because it helps the enemies adjust their actions accordingly.

- Why is it prohibited to specify the addresses and identifiable descriptions of the locations hit or missed by missiles? Because it helps the enemy adjust fire.

- Why is it prohibited to publish information about the military installations (including hospitals), location of weaponry, equipment, and personnel? Because the risks of the installation getting destroyed by the enemy increase tenfold.

- Why shouldn’t one publicly fact-check the statements and publications of security and intelligence agencies? Because this is war. You can rest assured that these statements pass through numerous official filters. If they get published, it means that they are necessary for our country’s defence. After the victory, the inspiration will strike, and you will figure out everything.

- Why shouldn’t one publicly or privately doubt the decisions and agency of the Armed Forces of Ukraine? Because the Armed Forces of Ukraine are the best informed about the situation on the frontline. If a decision seems strange to you, it means that there are some things you don’t know about at play. Besides, military decisions cannot be made under pressure from public opinion because these are professional decisions akin to those made during surgeries.

The Russian Investigative Committee has filed criminal charges against Aleksandr Nevzorov, Meduza reports.

The journalist has been charged with “the public dissemination of deliberately misleading information” about the actions of the Russian invaders in reference to his materials about a premeditated shelling of a maternity hospital in Mariupol by Russians.

Service members of the 80th Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed an enemy cruise missile in the sky over a village in the Mykolaiv Region with an Igla MANPADS. The missile carrying 400 kg of TNT was heading toward Kropyvnytskyi.

Twenty Ukrainian children with oncology diseases have arrived in France for treatment.

The plane delivered them and their families to Paris in the previous day's evening. Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, personally welcomed them.

The children will get all the treatment and aid they need there, the Office of the President of Ukraine informs.

At 6:20 PM, Russian occupiers shelled Pavlohrad, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration Valentyn Reznichenko informs. The Pavlohrad-2 railway station was destroyed. One person was killed.

Displaced persons and refugees may get the status of witnesses and victims of the Russian Federation’s war crimes, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said.

Venediktova has visited a prosecutor compound on the Polish-Ukrainian border. There, victims and witnesses of the war crimes can provide testimony, which will be used during national processes to bring to justice the agents of the aggressor country and become an important information source for international trials

The Prosecutor General added that the victims who testify would get a chance to bring the war criminals to justice and be reimbursed at their expense.

POW Sergey Medved, born 13.05.1972. Makeevka, Donetsk Region. Grenadier, 1st company of the 4th battalion of the 127th regiment.

Russian media report that six tank vehicles with diesel fuel are burning at the bulk petroleum plant in the Kstovo District of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Each carried 30 cubic m of oil products.

Viktoria Roshchina, a Hromadske journalist, has been freed from captivity. She will soon meet her friends and family, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko informs.

East Air Force Command reports that air defence detachments of an anti-air missile unit in the Dnipropetrovsk Region have destroyed three air targets today in the Slobozhanshchyna direction: an enemy drone and two Russian invader warplanes.

In Mariupol near the Neptun pool, Ukrainian defenders downed a warplane of Russian occupiers, which had been bombing the city over the past few weeks, according to City Council.

In the Obolon District of Kyiv, a lorry and two buildings caught fire as a result of enemy shelling, emergency response teams report.

Official Statement by State Emergency Service of Ukraine:

A lorry and two buildings caught fire in the Obolon District of Kyiv as a result of enemy shelling. Kyiv emergency response teams informed about it at 1:10 PM on 22 March. The fire was contained at 2:38 PM and extinguished at 3 PM.

Four vehicles and 20 personnel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine were involved. The information about the casualties is being specified.

Zelenskyy: “What else need the occupiers do, how many our people they need to kill for the Western leadership, the NATO leadership to give an affirmative answer to Ukraine’s pleas about establishing the no-fly zone or providing the warplanes that we need so badly?”

The secretary of the Chernihiv City Council published footage of the destruction and life under such conditions.

Destroyed Russian anti-aircraft missile system Pantsir-S1.

Polish President Duda: Poles today say with tears in their eyes: Mariupol is like Warsaw in 1944, when the Nazi Germans brutally bombed residential buildings, killing civilians without any mercy. Today, the behavior of the Russian army and Russian leaders is the same as that of Hitler, the German SS men and pilots of the fascist army. These are unprecedented killings that the free world must not accept.

The armor crewmen of the the Azov Regiment destroy tanks and infantry of the Russian occupiers.

The Paris mayor's office has awarded the status of "honorary citizenship" to Kyiv. It is the first time that a city received such a status in the French capital.

Le #ConseilDeParis a voté à l’unanimité la citoyenneté d’honneur à la ville de Kyiv.
Avec cette distinction, attribuée pour la première fois à une ville, Paris renouvelle son amitié et son soutien pour la capitale ukrainienne qui lutte actuellement pour sa liberté.

The EU plans to create a solidarity fund with Ukraine, according to the draft final declaration of the EU summit, which will be held on May 24-25.

“Given the devastation and enormous losses inflicted on Ukraine as a result of the Russian military aggression, the European Union is committed to support the Ukrainian government in restoring the democratic Ukraine, both in its immediate needs and after the end of the Russian invasion,” the document says.

It is planned to organize a donor conference to replenish the fund.

Ministry of Defense: The final destination for the occupiers was arranged by the fighters of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade.

The occupiers released the Hromadske journalist Viktoriya Roshchyna from captivity, now she is heading to Zaporizhzhya, where she is to meet with her relatives.

Pro-Russian media and Telegram channels are spreading a video in which Viktoriya Roshchyna denies her claims to the Russian services that held her captive and says that they saved her life. This recording became a condition for her release; the journalist recorded it under pressure from the Russian security forces.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner announced the need to prepare an international "Marshall Plan" for Ukraine in order to restore the country after the war.

According to Lindner, after the end of hostilities, Berlin will help Ukraine with the reconstruction and "support on the way to partnership with the EU."

Polish President Andrzej Duda will propose a plan for the peacekeeping mission in Ukraine to NATO at the Alliance's summit, which will be held on March 24 in Brussels.

Here is what is left of the Kharkiv apartment of the 95-year-old prisoner of Nazi concentration camps Boris Romanchenko, who was killed by Russian punishers in his own house in Kharkiv.

A missile hit Romanchenko's house. His apartment was completely destroyed. He survived Buchenwald, but he didn’t manage to survive the Russian Nazi bombing in 2022...

Italy supports Ukraine's accession to the European Union, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said. At the same time, he mentioned that this is a “long journey”.

“In recent weeks, it has been noted that the process of accession to the European Union is lengthy and consists of the reforms necessary to ensure a functioning integration. I want to tell President Zelensky that Italy stands with Ukraine in this process. Italy wants Ukraine to join the European Union”

The Mykolayiv region is keeping the defense.

Arestovych reports:

During the day, there were no significant changes in the position and nature of the enemy’s actions, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are conducting a defensive operation and counterattacking in some places.

I’d like to ask you for a favour: do not dehumanize the enemy. Calls for abuse of prisoners, strikes or destruction of the civilian population of the Russian Federation are unacceptable. We remain a European army, a European country. You and I are not barbarians, we are a civilization fighting barbarians.

The UK has provided more than 4,000 NLAW anti-tank systems for the Ukrainian army to counter Russian aggression, the UK Ministry of Defense reports.

Update on Russia's latest attempt to spread disinformation:

The UK has provided over 4,000 NLAWs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to continue their resistance against Russian aggression. (1/3)

— Ministry of Defence

The Center for Corruption and Organized Crime Research (OCCRP) has published the Sanctions Assets Tracker project, the most comprehensive database ever published of foreign assets associated with Russian oligarchs, officials and propagandists who fell under sanctions, as well as their relatives.

Investigators referred to properties, yachts, private jets, bank accounts and shares in companies. At the first stage of the project, we are talking about 145 assets worth $17 billion.

For example, the list includes a villa in Tuscany that belonged to the family of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Shuvalov, the house of the daughter of the head of Transneft in Croatia, three villas and commercial real estate of the oligarch Deripaska in Sardinia.