Russia-Ukraine war updates: Russia says it captured Orlivka village
These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war for Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
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- The Russian Defence Ministry says its forces have captured the village of Orlivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, 9.5km (5.9 miles) from the Russian-controlled town of Avdiivka.
- Moldova has expelled a Russian diplomat over the opening of polling stations for Russia’s presidential election in its breakaway region of Transnistria, the Foreign Ministry said after summoning the Russian ambassador.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the Reuters news agency reported.
- The Ukrainian military’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskii says the development of unmanned systems, or drones, is key in giving Kyiv an advantage over “numerically superior” Russian forces.
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Here’s what happened today
We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of some of today’s key events:
- Ukraine’s defence ministry announced that Finland would provide 30 million euros ($32.7m) to procure artillery shells for Ukraine via the Czech initiative.
- Russian spy chief Sergey Naryshkin says French troops will be a “priority” if sent to Ukraine.
- German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announces a 500-million-euro ($542m) aid package for Ukraine.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says Kyiv is looking forward to discussing NATO accession plans at the Washington summit in July.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says he hopes the country will have enough ammunition to repel Russian troops on the battlefield from April.
- Estonia says it has expelled a Russian diplomat and accused the embassy of interfering in its affairs.
US’s Austin warns Ukraine’s survival is in ‘danger’
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sought to convince allies that the US was committed to Kyiv at a press conference after a Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting held at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
“Our allies and partners continue to step up, the United States must also,” he added.
Austin did not say how Washington would support Ukraine without additional funding.
As the Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to call a vote on an aid bill for Ukraine, the White House has been scrambling to find ways to send assistance to Kyiv.
France defence ministry hits back at Russian spy chief remarks
We reported earlier that Russia’s spy chief, Sergei Naryshkin, said French troops would be a “priority target” if they were sent to Ukraine.
France has responded to Naryshkin’s comments, calling them an “irresponsible” provocation.
“We consider these kind of provocations irresponsible”, an official of the French Armed Forces Ministry said, adding the remarks were a further example of Russian “disinformation”.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accuses Britain of ‘propaganda’
The Russian Foreign Ministry says it has complained to Britain about what it regards as “unacceptable propaganda statements” during Russia’s weekend presidential election.
It accused Britain of violating the Vienna Convention on diplomatic ties and said its actions ran counter to the status of Britain’s diplomatic missions in Russia.
The statements are also considered to be an interference in Russia’s internal affairs, the ministry said.
Putin won 87.3 per cent of the vote and a new six-year term in an election that Western countries said was neither free nor fair.
Ukrainian foreign minister says Kyiv looking forward to NATO discussion at July summit
Dmytro Kuleba says he will not discuss Ukraine’s goals at the NATO summit in Washington in detail but there is “very active engagement” with the alliance’s leadership and allies.
“We think that Ukraine meets the main criteria of membership, which is the capacity to defend NATO borders. That’s what we are doing by defending Ukraine,” he told reporters.
“Let me say this, we are working hard to make a strong and far-reaching step towards Ukrainian membership in NATO at the Washington summit.”
But last month, the US ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith, said she does not expect the alliance to issue a membership invitation to Ukraine at the summit.
EBRD says farmers’ protests will not impact Ukraine’s exports
“The world needs the products from Ukraine … and also for Ukraine to be able to sustain its own economy, war effort and so forth, they need to have resources and be able to export,” Odile Renaud-Basso, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), has told the Reuters news agency
She added that “quite a number” of EBRD projects are aimed at helping Ukraine’s transit of goods, including railway, road and port works, as well as storage capacity and other logistics.
Renaud-Basso also said that the bank is aiming to launch a scheme this year to insure inland cargo transportation and continues work on the so-called “solidarity lane”, which allows Ukraine to channel more than half its grain exports via Europe.
European farmers have called for restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products due to what they say is “unfair competition”.
Finland to provide $32.7m for artillery shells
Ukraine’s defence ministry announced that Finland will provide 30 million euros ($32.7m) to procure artillery shells for Ukraine via the Czech initiative.
“We are grateful to our Finnish partners for this important decision and unwavering support. Together, we will win!,” the ministry wrote on X.
Finland will provide €30 million to procure artillery shells for Ukraine within the Czech initiative.
We are grateful to our Finnish partners for this important decision and unwavering support. Together, we will win!
🇺🇦🤝🇫🇮@anttihakkanen @DefenceFinland pic.twitter.com/ZxyTVnwsHh— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 19, 2024
Russian spy chief says French troops will be a ‘priority’ if sent to Ukraine
“It [a French contingent] will become a priority and legitimate target for attacks by the Russian armed forces. This means that the fate of all Frenchmen who have ever come to the territory of the Russian world with a sword would await it,” says the chief of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron said he wouldn’t rule out offering boots on the ground to help Ukraine win its war.
In case you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed with all the latest developments.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia launched 130 missiles, more than 320 Shahed attack drones and almost 900 guided bombs on Ukraine this month.
- German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announces a 500-million-euro ($542m) aid package for Ukraine.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin calls on the Federal Security Service (FSB) to identify and punish pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters who have taken part in several deadly attacks on border regions.
- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi congratulated Putin on his re-election success, his spokesman said.
- Ukraine says it is shocked that the US has still not passed a $60bn wartime aid package.
German prosecutors charge military officer for allegedly spying for Russia
German prosecutors have charged an officer in the military procurement agency with attempting to pass secret information to Russian intelligence.
The prosecutor’s office identified the German national as Thomas H, who has been in custody since August.
He is accused of repeatedly approaching Russia’s consulate in Bonn and its embassy in Berlin from May last year to offer his services.
The federal prosecutor’s office said that on one occasion, Thomas H handed over information obtained during the course of his work, intending to pass it on to a Russian intelligence service.
He was arrested in Koblenz, the procurement agency’s seat in western Germany, and his home and workplace were searched.
Ukraine ‘shocked’ the US has still not passed aid package
Ukraine says it is shocked the US has still not passed a $60bn wartime aid package, as it struggles with shortages on the battlefield.
“What really matters and what does shock us is that the decision has not been adopted yet,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an online briefing for foreign media.
Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to call a vote on the bill, leaving the White House to scramble to find ways to send assistance to Kyiv.
Putin calls on security agency to help Russian companies
Putin called on the Federal Security Service (FSB) to help Russian companies circumvent Western sanctions and expand their reach into new markets worldwide.
He told the FSB spies “to provide support to our companies that are actively developing despite the obstacles created for them and which are exploring new markets but are faced with openly hostile actions” from the West.
“Yes, they create temporary problems for us,” Putin said, adding that he had spoken to the government about how sanctions had affected some large projects.
In an attempt to affect the Russian economy and force Putin to change course, the West imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s wartime economy, however, has thrived despite the sanctions, with the manufacture of artillery shells far exceeding the West’s and the economy growing 3.6 percent last year.
Watch: Thousands celebrate 10-year anniversary of Crimea annexation in Moscow
Egypt’s el-Sisi congratulates Putin on his election win
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election success, his spokesman said.
According to a statement from the presidency, el-Sisi “extended his sincere congratulations” to Putin, who secured his fifth term with 87.28 percent of the vote.
The election results “reflects the confidence of the Russian people” read the statement, which added that the Egyptian leader “wished him success and the Russian people further progress and prosperity”.
Putin had run effectively unchallenged in the March 15-17 election, which many Western leaders denounced as being “undemocratic”.
Estonia expels Russian diplomat over ‘interference’
Estonia says it has expelled a Russian diplomat and accused the embassy of interfering in its affairs.
“The Russian embassy has interfered in the internal matters of Estonia in an unacceptable way,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement.
Tsahkna added that Moscow interfered “in the judicial process, acquiring documents from a criminal case and contributing to their publication on Russian social media”.
The ministry did not elaborate on the details of the case but urged an end to “the coordinated hybrid attacks of Russia’s special services against the security of the Republic of Estonia”.
It added that it had summoned the Russian charge d’affaires to formally hand in a diplomatic note on the expulsion.
Kyiv hopes to have enough battlefield ammunition by April: PM
Ukraine, currently facing a shortage of munitions supplies, hopes to have enough ammunition to repel Russian troops on the battlefield starting from April, the country’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says.
Zelenskyy says Russia launched nearly 900 guided bombs in March
Zelenskyy says Russia launched 130 missiles, more than 320 Shahed attack drones and almost 900 guided bombs in attacks on Ukraine this month.
“Ukraine has demonstrated that it is capable of successfully shooting down Russian terrorist missiles and drones, as well as destroying Russian military aircraft. These actions save thousands of lives and allow Ukraine’s economy to function,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
But he said despite the success of shooting down the missiles, Ukraine still needs more air defence systems.
“Patriots and other systems must do what they were designed for: protect lives, not collect dust in storage. And I want to thank everyone in the world who understands this and helps us save lives. Russian terror must lose,” he added.
Every day and night, Russia uses drones, missiles, and guided bombs to wage a terrorist war against our people, against ordinary Ukrainian cities and villages.
Since the beginning of March, Russian troops have used 130 different types of missiles, over 320 "Shahed" drones, and… pic.twitter.com/pZTm3n2V0r
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 19, 2024
German defence minister announces half-billion euro aid package for Kyiv
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announces a 500 million euro ($542 million) aid package for Ukraine, which includes 10,000 rounds of much-needed ammunition for Kyiv.
“We have once again put together an aid package worth almost half a billion euros,” Pistorius told reporters on the sidelines of talks with the United States and other allies at Ramstein Air Base.
He also said he had nothing to add to Berlin’s position that there would be no boots on the ground in Ukraine after the French president said that Ukraine’s allies could send troops to Kyiv to aid its war efforts.
Putin calls on FSB to ‘punish’ pro-Kyiv fighters
Putin calls on the Federal Security Service (FSB) to identify and punish pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters who have taken part in a number of deadly attacks on border regions.
“About these traitors, … we must not forget who they are. We must identify them by name. We will punish them without statute of limitations wherever they are,” Putin said, calling Russians fighting against their country “scum”.
Last week, anti-Putin Russian volunteer fighters said they had entered the Kursk and Belgorod regions and carried out attacks.
IOC says Russia’s ‘Friendship Games’ violate Olympic charter
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says Russia’s plan to hold the “Friendship Games” is a political action that violates the Olympic Charter.
“The IOC notes that contrary to the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter and the resolutions by the UN General Assembly, the Russian government intends to organise purely politically motivated sports events in Russia,” the IOC said.
“The Russian government created and funded the ‘International Friendship Association’ (IFA), in order to host the summer and winter ‘Friendship Games’,” it said.
Russia said last year it planned to relaunch the multi-sport ‘Friendship Games’ in 2024, 40 years after its first edition after their athletes and those of ally Belarus had mainly been frozen out of international competitions due to the war in Ukraine.
Moscow plans to hold the first summer Friendship Games in September, with the winter edition planned for 2026 in Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
EU’s Charles Michel, Zelenskyy discuss Ukraine membership steps
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the EU’s special 5 billion euro ($5.48bn) assistance fund in a call with European Council President Charles Michel.
In the call, Zelenskyy said he spoke to the European chief about the next steps towards Ukraine’s membership in the EU.
“We also identified potential ways to increase the supply of artillery ammunition to Ukraine. We discussed the importance of extending autonomous trade benefits for Ukraine for another year,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“I emphasised that maintaining the trade liberalization regime with the EU is critical to supporting Ukraine’s economy during the war”.
On the eve of the European Council meeting, I spoke with the European Council President, @CharlesMichel.
We focused on further steps toward the actual start of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations, as well as further comprehensive EU support for Ukraine.
I thanked @eucopresident… pic.twitter.com/DsmiTKK4Hn
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 19, 2024
Kremlin spokesman unaware of refineries compensation plan
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says he is unaware of possible compensation for refineries which have been damaged by Ukrainian drones.
The Reuters news agency calculated that Russian oil refining capacity shut down in the first quarter due to drone attacks, which amount to about 4.6 million tonnes (370,500 barrels per day), or 7 percent of the total.
In case you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed with some of the latest developments.
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin promised that the United States would not let Ukraine fail despite an essential aid package stuck in Congress.
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The Russian Defence Ministry says its forces had captured the village of Orlivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, 9.5km (5.9 miles) from the Russian-controlled town of Avdiivka.
- The Kremlin says NATO’s efforts to expand to the South Caucasus region were unlikely to help bring stability.
- The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region has announced that about 9,000 children will be evacuated from Belgorod city and several districts due to Ukrainian shelling.
- Moldova’s Foreign Ministry said it had expelled a Russian diplomat due to the opening of polling stations for the Russian election in its breakaway region of Transnistria.
Kremlin says foreign trips being planned for Putin amid China visit reports
We reported earlier that Putin is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart in May.
The Kremlin says several foreign trips were being planned for Putin and that preparatory high-level contacts were under way for them.
Since winning re-election on Sunday, Putin’s trip to China will be his first overseas trip.