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

20,000 soldiers from the whole world are already in. The International Legion of Ukraine to fight Russia: how to join.

Arestovych: the world’s most prominent experts anticipated our air defence to last 3 hours at the most, but it has been destroying Russian aircraft for 20 days already.

Mariupol City Council informs that 2,000 cars left the city as of 14:00. The convoy will go from Mariupol through Mangush, Berdiansk, Tokmak, and Vasylivka to Zaporizhzhia, where people will get further assistance. Another 2,000 vehicles are waiting at the city’s exit.

Meet Patron. The mascot of Chernihiv pyrotechnicians.

The State Bureau of Investigation seized weapons from the "OPFL" party's MPs who had illegally crossed or were planning to cross the Ukrainian state border during searches.

In particular, MP Vadym Rabinovych had three rifles and large amounts of cash in hryvnyas and dollars seized, MP Viktor Chyorny had two grenades (F-1 and RGD-5), and MP Oleh Voloshyn had a gun found among other things.

AZOV regiment has eliminated a Russian army major general.

A summary by the General Staff as of 12.00 on 15 March: The state, the situation of the defence forces' actions have not changed significantly. The Ukrainian Defence Forces continue to successfully confront the occupiers.

During the day, the enemy has not conducted any active offensives, focusing its efforts on replenishing current losses, recruiting mercenaries from other countries, and resolving logistical issues with the occupying forces.

In the Polissya direction, the enemy made an unsuccessful attempt to break through the defenses of our troops in the direction of Guta-Mezhigirsk, Lutezh. The Russians were also unsuccessful in capturing Makariv.

In the Donetsk and Tavriyan directions, the occupiers did not succeed near Lisichansk, suffered losses, and withdrew. Near Rubizhne, the enemy attempts to gain a foothold on the western outskirts of the city. The enemy continues storming the western and eastern outskirts of Mariupol with air and artillery support.

Not succeeding on the main lines of hostilities, the occupational troops continue launching missile and air strikes on civilian objects, civilians and critical infrastructure in violation of the norms of the International Humanitarian Law.

In Luhansk Region, the Ukrainian military destroyed three T-72 tanks and one BMP-3 tank along with the enemy crews.

"Rating Group" poll: 76% of respondents believe that Ukraine is holding the correct course. This is the highest figure in the history of the survey. Only 15% are of the opposite opinion, 10% found it difficult to estimate.

56% of those surveyed believe that the main goal of the Russian invasion is the complete destruction of the Ukrainian people, and this view dominates in all regions of Ukraine. Another half believe that the aim of the attack is to occupy Ukraine and annex it to Russia.

Only 1% of respondents would prefer to agree to most of the Kremlin's demands. 64% see a way out in finding compromises in negotiations involving other countries, while almost a third of Ukrainians believe that they should abandon negotiations and fight until the entire territory of Ukraine would be liberated.

The occupiers are planning to carry out deforestation in Ukraine. This was stated in a letter from Russian Defence Minister Shoigu to Putin.

It is planned to carry out cutdown of forests of "any intensity and of any age, irrespective of the form of ownership and category of land, with the right to use the timber obtained.

Unused timber for the needs of the Russian army will be sold and the proceeds will go to supply the occupiers.

More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled the country because of the Russian invasion, the UN has said.

Soldiers of the Azov regiment defending Mariupol have defeated one of the units of the 22nd Special Forces Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces.

A curfew has also been imposed in Kyiv region from 8pm on 15 March to 7am on 17 March. It will be possible to go out only with special passes or to move to a shelter. Such restrictions were earlier imposed in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy has signed a bill on criminal liability for cooperation with Russia (collaborationism), first deputy parliamentary speaker Oleksandr Korniyenko has said. 

According to the bill, Ukrainian citizens' access to public office and local government posts will be restricted for 15 years in cases of cooperation with the occupiers.

"Bayraktar" destroys the Russian 9K331 Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile system.

Oleksandr Shcherba, Ukraine's Ambassador to Austria (2014-2021): "I give interviews to various Western media and often I get the impression that I am talking to a toad: cold, soulless. Sometimes it is not so. Sometimes there are journalists with heart. But most of the time they are toads. They wait for us to give up. They don't believe..."

The police in Sumy Region detained another occupier who had asked to stay with the residents of the village. Later they handed him over to the police.

Bayraktars have destroyed a Russian 9K331 Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile system worth about $25m - war correspondent Roman Bochkala.

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry's intelligence service has made public a list of servicemen of the 590 antiaircraft missile regiment (military unit 31665) from Novosibirsk committing war crimes against the people of Ukraine.

Curfew in Kyiv from 8 p.m. on 15 March to 7 a.m. on 17 March. It is forbidden to move around the city without a special pass. You may go out only to reach shelter - Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.

The head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, has reported significant damage to Dnipro airport. The takeoff and landing strip was destroyed and the terminal was damaged.

As of 15 March, 97 children have been killed and more than 100 wounded in Ukraine because of the war. At least 5 children killed under shelling every day - Office of the Prosecutor-General.

The SSU has detained a hacker who provided the occupiers with mobile communications in Ukraine. He had been sending messages to Ukrainian government officials and servicemen asking them to surrender and relaying commands and instructions to the occupiers.

The approximate total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 15.03 reached:

• personnel - more 13 500,
• tanks - 404,
• APV - 1279,
• artillery systems – 150,
• MLRS - 64,
• Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 36,
• aircraft – 81,
• helicopters – 95,
• vehicles - 640,
• boats - 3,
• fuel tanks - 60,
• UAV operational-tactical level - 9.

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

At 09:50, a fire in a sixteen-storey residential building which broke out on 15 March as a result of shelling in Kyiv's Svyatoshynskyy district was contained. Two people died and 46 were rescued.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) has involved 88 people and 18 units of equipment.

In Chernihiv, the occupiers' MLRS that had been shelling residential areas of the city were destroyed. "Ten minutes of operations by our artillery quickly curtailed their plans. Now there will be a flowerbed in that place" - Operational Command North.

The State Border Service has reported on the situation at the western borders. There are no queues at checkpoints on the border with Poland.

Ukrzaliznytsya will nationalize Russian railcars held in Ukraine. This is 15,000 railcars belonging to 250 companies. At the same time, there are only 482 Ukrainian railcars in Russia.

On 15 March, humanitarian evacuation corridors will operate in the Kyiv region in the directions of Bohdanivka and Nova Bohdanivka - Brovary, Bobryk - Brovary - Kyiv Region State Administration.

Ukrzaliznytsia has appointed an additional evacuation route Darnytsa - Kharkiv - Lviv. It departs from Kyiv (Darnytsya) at 9:00  and from Kharkiv to Lviv at 15:30. The fare is free of charge - State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces boasted trophy guns and ammunition.

Evacuation convoys have left from Lebedyn and Trostyanets, Konotop will leave in a minute - Sumy Region State Administration.

Enemy personnel losses reached more than 13,500 - from a General Staff summary on 15 March.

The radiation background in the Zaporizhia region remains unchanged and does not endanger the life and health of the population – the Regional State Administration.

In the Sviatoshynskyi district, enemy ammunition hit a 9-storey building (minor damage) and a 16-storey building (destruction and fire on all floors). The bodies of two dead were found at the scene, 27 citizens were rescued – State Emergency Service.

The head of the Sumy Regional State Administration Dmytro Zhyvytsky announced the exact evacuation routes from Sumy, Trostyanets, Konotop, Shostka, Lebedyn.

The blast wave damaged the facade of the Lukyanivska metro lobby and the station's office space. The Kyiv Metro reports that trains will not stop at the station.

The second fire is in Kyiv during the night. A private house caught fire on Sadovaya Street in Osokorky district as a result of the shelling. The fire was extinguished at 6:40, no casualties, the State Emergency Service informed.

The Russian army hit the residential building on Mostyska Street in Kyiv. After the shelling, there was a fire in the building from the 1st to the 5th floor. At 6:51 the fire was extinguished. The State Emergency Service unit rescued one person, he/she is was hospitalized.

Sumy Regional State Administration announced green corridors on March 15 from Sumy, Konotop, Shostka, Trostyanets, Lebedyn from 9:00 to 21:00.

As of 6 am on March 15 conditions and positions of the Ukrainian defense forces have not significantly changed. According to operative information of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the army inflict devastating blows on the occupying forces and their rear infrastructure. Four Russian helicopters, one plane, and a cruise missile were hit yesterday.

The occupiers suspended mobilization in the temporarily occupied territories of ORDLO. There were no signs of preparation for the naval landing operation in the Black Sea and Azov operational zones. Also, Ukrainian soldiers successfully repel attempts to capture Mariupol.

South Korea will send $800,000 worth of non-lethal military supplies to Ukraine. These are helmets, tents, blankets, long-term food kits and first-aid kits, CNN reports citing the South Korean Defense Ministry.

As of 6 am on March 15 there are no queues on Ukraine-Romania and Ukraine-Moldova borders. The State Border Guard Service informed the largest queue is in Krakovets border crossing point to Poland. The line is 400 pedestrians.

The Russian army fired more than 900 missiles of various types and sizes over the peaceful cities of Ukraine during the 19 days of the war, according to the US Department of Defense's estimates.

Senior Pentagon official insists the invaders have not gained an advantage in the air despite a large number of Russian planes. The Armed Forces successfully use drones for self-defense.

Ukrainian cities such as Mykolayiv and Brovary continue to defend themselves courageously. "Almost all of Russia's achievements remain deadlocked," the Pentagon said.

The head of Rostec Sergei Chemezov's $ 140 million yacht was arrested in Spain due to sanctions, said the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, Reuters reports.

It is specified that the 85-meter yacht Valeri is flying the flags of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is registered to Chemezov's stepdaughter Anastasia Ignatova through a company from the British Virgin Islands.

According to Marine Traffic, the yacht has been in Barcelona since February 9 on the repair. The vessel is under arrest pending confirmation of ownership and sanctions.

Power supply has been restored at the Chernobyl NPP, reported by the IAEA. The supply was damaged due to the attack of the troops of the Russian invaders.

 

“Ukraine informed the IAEA about today’s recovery of the external power supply to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after the electric power supply line was damaged once again by the troops of the invaders”, the message reads. It is specified that the ChNPP employees renewed their work on reconnecting the plant to the electric network.

In the evening of March 14, the Russian invaders launched a missile attack on Shostka in Sumy region, as reported Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Head of the Sumy Military Administration.

The airstrike resulted into fire at a facility. Information on the number of casualties and scope of destruction is yet to be specified.

Dmytro Kuleba, Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, had a call with the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly. The partners discussed the measures aimed at stopping the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“We have agreed that the pressure of sanctions on Russia will further increase. Canada is supporting Ukraine on all fronts,” the message reads.

Call with my Canadian counterpart @melaniejoly on ways to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine. We agreed that sanctions pressure on Russia will further increase. Canada supports Ukraine on all fronts.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 14, 2022

Japan imposed sanctions on 17 Russian citizens due to the attack of the Russian military on Ukraine. Reuters reports this citing the Ministry of Finance of Japan.

It is specified that the list includes 11 deputies of the illegitimate State Parliament, five family members of the banker Yuriy Kovalchuk as well as the billionaire Viktor Velselberg.

According to the Ministry, the war in Ukraine led to Japan sanctioning 61 Russian citizen in total.

Mariupol City Council urges to ignore fake information about the number of those who died under the missile strikes and due to the shelling of Mariupol by the Russian Army. Municipal authorities report this via Telegram.

“Yes, in Mariupol, the information on the casualties resulting from the hostile actions of the Russian occupiers differs - it varies from a few hundreds to tens of thousands of people. However, official and confirmed information as of the end of the day on March 14, 2022, states that about 2,357 residents of Mariupol ate dead. All other data concerning this issue do not correspond to reality. We ask you to only trust the official and verified sources of information”, the message states.