🔵18.03.2022
22:30 Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine: During the briefing, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that the Security Service of Ukraine mined the city hospital in Dnipro and plans to blow up the building while flying over the city of the Russian plane”.
The Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine warns this is how the enemy tries to create an “alibis” for themselves and transfer the blame on Ukrainian defenders for the war crimes committed by Russian troops.
“Russists began to actively use the information tactics of the preliminary media announcement of the targets planned for the attack. This is especially true of shelling of civilian and critical infrastructure, which are classified as war crimes and provoke a wave of public condemnation in the international community,” the Center informed
22:00 The Bellingcat Investigation Team created an interactive map of civilian harm in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion
Bellingcat and members of its Global Authentication Project have begun to log and map incidents on an interactive TimeMap. The aim of this project is to detail incidents where there is open source evidence of potential civilian harm in Ukraine, as well as attempting to clarify where and when such events took place. Documenting these incidents is important given claims by the Russian government in particular that it is not seeking to attack civilians and avoid impacting civilian infrastructure.
Readers are invited to explore the map by date and location. It must be noted that only events that have been pictured, captured on video or posted to social media are included in Bellingcat’s dataset. It is likely that there will be many other instances of civilian harm that are not documented on video or on social media and therefore not included in the TimeMap.
Bellingcat has been documenting and logging incidents of civilian harms which have been posted to social media channels to depict incidents of civilian impact or harm since the beginning of the conflict.
Some detail incidents of extreme violence as they take place while others appear to show the aftermath of missile strikes or shootings.
21:40 Ukraine strengthens its cybersecurity under the martial law
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted Law No. 7152 to strengthen the protection of state information systems.
Whom the law concerns – Public authorities, bodies of local self-government, state and communal enterprises, institutions, organizations; citizens.
The purpose of the law – State administrations will be able to use cloud servers abroad for information and communication systems as well as public electronic registers to function properly. Citizens will benefit from enhanced data protection and state electronic resources.
What the law regulates – Enhancing the protection of information and communication systems, electronic communication systems and public electronic registers.
20:39 High-voltage power line is restored at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Repairmen of NPC Ukrenergo have restored the 750 kV high-voltage power line Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant – Kakhovska, which was damaged by the invaders.The power line has been put into operation and ensures stable operation of Zaporizhzhia NPP.
At the Zaporizhzhia site, which Russian forces took control of on March 4, Ukrainian personnel have continued to operate Units 2 and 4. The units were running at “slightly decreased” power lines had been damaged by the fighting.
20:25 The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal
The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a resolution simplifying all customs procedures as much as possible.
“We aim to create the fastest customs service in the world,” Shmygal said.
19:15 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Operational information as of 6 p.m. on 18.03.2022 regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Today is the twenty-third day of the Ukrainian opposition to the Russian military invasion.
Continuing endeavours to restore the combat capability of individual units involved in hostilities, the military leadership of the russian federation plans to transfer to Ukraine some units from the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia.
The refusal of some russian servicemen to take part in hostilities is confirmed. It occurs due to the low level of the moral and psychological condition of the Russian occupiers after the clashes with the Ukrainian defence forces. Thus, at the permanent deployment point of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th All-Military Army of the Southern Military District, about 130 servicemen rejected participation in hostilities.
The enemy personnel was demoralized, suicides and self-mutilation became more frequent.
Due to the lack of positive results and inability to fulfil the objectives, high command intends to remove Colonel Vadym Pankov, commander of the 45th special brigade of the special purpose air force of the russian armed forces. He is accused of failing to perform a combat mission at Hostomel airfield.
The pro-government Russian media persist in spreading false information about the armed aggression of russia on the territory of Ukraine. They create and distribute staged propaganda videos through all available information channels, including in the countries of the European Union and the United States, to discredit the activities of the military-political leadership and the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
In the city of Dzhankoi, in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the educational process in local secondary schools has been suspended with their further use to accommodate servicemen of the armed forces of the Russian Federation arriving in the city.
In the Chernihiv region, Russian occupiers are intimidating locals to quell civilian resistance.
The occupiers continue to defiantly violate the norms of international humanitarian law and destroy the infrastructure of cities, creating the preconditions for deepening the humanitarian crisis.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine persist step by step to liberate the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in all directions.
18:47
18:20 Radio Svoboda
The foreign ministries of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia announced the expulsion of several Russian diplomats on March 18.
16:50 The Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis
The Prime Minister of Greece said that Greece is ready to undertake the reconstruction of the maternity hospital in Mariupol destroyed by the Russian occupiers.
“Greece is ready to rebuild the maternity hospital in Mariupol, the centre of the Greek minority in Ukraine, a city dear to our hearts and a symbol of the barbarity of the war.”
16:45 Deputy Chief of Staff of the Land Forces Command, Brigadier General Oleksandr Hruzevych
The plan of Russia to quicklytakeoverKyiv has failed. Today, on the right bank of the Dnipro river, the enemy was stopped at a distance of almost 70 kilometres.
Now the enemy has switched to another tactic. It implies cynical shootings of houses and kindergartens, not only in Kyiv but also in other cities.
16:14 Komersant
The Russian aviation authorities continued to close the airspace over the southern part of the country until 3:45 am (at Moscow time) on March 26.
Initially, the restriction lasted until March 1, then extended until March 8, 14 and 20.
16:11 Hromadske
The journalist of Hromadske Victoria Roshchina has been probably captured by the Russian occupiers. She made videos and wrote articles from hotspots in eastern and southern Ukraine all days of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
On March 12, Hromadske was unable to contact Victoria. As learned from witnesses, who are left anonymous, the journalist was in temporarily occupied Berdyansk at the time. On March 16, Hromadske learned that the day before (probably March 15), Victoria Roshchina was detained by the Russian Federal Security Service. Currently, nothing is known about her whereabouts.
Hromadske made every effort to release the journalist. But it turned out to be ineffective. Therefore, Hromadske calls on the Ukrainian and international community to join actions to the release of journalist of Hromadske Victoria Roshchina.
14:40 Radio Svoboda
This was announced by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova on Channel 24.
14:38 Head of Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Haidai:
The Russian army fired 10 shells at one of the medical institutions in Lysychansk. The hospital and nearby residential buildings were left without windows. Information about the victims is being clarified.
14:06 Kyiv City State Administration:
Almost 400 companies resumed their operations in Kyiv.
13:35 Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine:
According to the investigation, since the beginning of the Russian full-scale military aggression, occupiers under the pretext of evacuation forcibly relocate citizens of Ukraine who found themselves in temporary occupied territories of the Donetsk region to the territory of Russia.
13:36 Kyiv City State Administration:
“Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression, 222 people have died in Kyiv, including 60 civilians, 4 of whom are children. During the period of hostilities in the capital 889 wounded, 241 of whom are civilians, including 18 children, 3 ambulance drivers, 1 ambulance doctor. Since the beginning of the war in the capital, the enemy damaged 36 houses, 5 private estates, 6 schools and 4 kindergartens. Facades, balconies and windows in 55 houses were damaged.” – First Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration Mykola Povoroznyk.
13:03 Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine:
– Schools forcibly arrange “actions”;
– Children are not allowed to objective and unbiased information;
– Involvement of children from boarding schools and orphanages (avoidance of objections from parents).
The occupiers violate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), namely the right to:
– free expression of personal opinion, the formation of own views, the development of own social activity;
– obtaining information appropriate to her age;
– the right to liberty, security of person and protection of dignity.
12:23 European Pravda:
The Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki has announced the “Anti-Putin Shield” program to overcome the consequences of the turbulence in the economy caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He wrote this on his Facebook page.
12:11 Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniegubov:
In some temporarily occupied territories, the Russian occupiers are trying to create a positive image of themselves, distribute food among the residents and film it. For example, in Lyptsi, Russian propagandists filmed an unknown gym, such building does not exist at all in this settlement. This is a montage and an outright provocation. The occupiers are creating a false “picture”, filming people who pretend to be residents of this community and rejoice in the “Russian liberators”.
12:06 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
Operational information on 12.00, 18.03.2022 regarding the Russian invasion
The twenty-third day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the russian military invasion continues.
russian occupation forces continue offensive operation against Ukraine. Strategic tasks related to the defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, access to the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the establishment of control over the left bank of Ukraine remain unfulfilled. The enemy partially managed to temporarily occupy settlements and establish control over the routes in the Donetsk and Pivdennobuzhsky operational districts.
The enemy is trying to take measures to increase the number of troops in the direction of Kyiv by moving uncoordinated and incompetent units from the Central and Eastern military districts.
Due to the consumption of almost all missile ammunition and some types of ammunition, the military-political leadership decided to transfer the enterprises of the russian military-industrial complex involved in the production of “Caliber” and ammunition to MLRS “Tornado” to round-the-clock .
No significant changes in the activities of the occupying forces have been recorded in the Volyn, Polissya and Siversky areas. The enemy focused on the fortification equipment of the occupied frontiers.
In the Slobozhansky and Sumy areas, units of the russian occupation forces are not conducting active offensive operations, the enemy is regrouping and trying to establish logistical support. The occupiers are more active in reconnaissance.
russian terrorist forces do not stop trying to capture the city of Izyum, strengthen the group by introducing additional units, take measures to organize engineering and logistics.
In the Luhansk region, the enemy intensified hostilities in the area of the village of Rubizhne, has partial success. It continues to shell unprotected civilian infrastructure in order to intimidate the local population and limit the actions of the defense forces.
In the Donetsk region, the enemy did not conduct active hostilities.
In the Tavriya direction, the enemy is trying to establish a strict administrative and police regime in the temporarily occupied settlements of the Kherson region.
No active actions of the Russian occupiers were noted in the South Bug direction. The enemy continues to shell civilian infrastructure, increasing the logistics system of the group.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine, in close cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces, are resisting the russian aggressors, inflicting significant losses on their manpower and military equipment.
11:59 Ukrainska Pravda:
Lavrov in an interview with Russian propaganda channel RT: “The transfer of Soviet S-300s from other countries to Ukraine is impossible and illegal, Moscow will not allow it. We have made it very clear that any cargo that enters Ukraine, which we consider to be carrying weapons, will be a legitimate goal.”
11:21 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine:
Operational situation on the diplomatic front as of 10:00 a.m. March 18
For twenty-three days, Ukraine has been fiercely resisting Russia’s armed aggression on all fronts, including diplomatic.
We are working to put maximum pressure on Russia. Ukraine is seeking the complete closure of the Russian media around the world because they are poisoning public opinion and undermining democracy. Dozens of countries have already restricted the broadcast of propaganda channels. In particular, the relevant sanctions were imposed by the European Union.
Today, the British media regulator Ofcom revoked the license of RT to broadcast in the UK. Ukraine will continue to work to suppress Russian propaganda abroad and make it impossible to circumvent the bans.
● World support
- The parliament of Latvia adopted a decision calling on the UN countries to immediately agree on measures to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Earlier, such resolutions were approved by the parliaments of Estonia and Lithuania.
● Sanctions
- Australia imposed sanctions against 11 Russian banks and government agencies that manage Russia’s sovereign debt. Thus, 80% of all banking assets of the aggressor state were subject to Australian sanctions. The restrictions also affected two Russian oligarchs.
- The New Zealand government imposed a package of sanctions against Russian officials, including Russian President Putin, Prime Minister Mishustin, Foreign Minister Lavrov and Defense Minister Shoigu.
● Isolation of the Russian Federation
- International rating agency S&P Global Ratings downgraded Russia from “CCC-” to “CC” as the country reported difficulties in repaying debt on its 2023 and 2043 Eurobonds. This means that a default in Russia is more than likely.
- The International Biathlon Union has begun the process of eliminating the national federations of Russia and Belarus.
- Italian company Pirelli, one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers, announced the suspension of operations in Russia.
- American The Bank of New York Mellon has suspended the purchase of Russian securities for investment management.
● Help for Ukrainians
- The UK will provide Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes with access to public services, including health care and education.
- PayPal payment system has officially started operating in Ukraine, cards of Ukrainian banks can already be tied to the wallet.
- The parliament of Latvia has adopted amendments to the law on assistance to the civilian population of Ukraine, which provide for a one-time assistance of 272 euros per adult and 190 euros per child for temporarily displaced persons from Ukraine.
11:05 Head of Vinnytsia Regional Military Administration Serhii Borzov:
Ukrainian air defenses shot down three missiles over the region.
10:55 Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Pavliuk:
Situation as of this morning in Vyshhorod district of Kyiv region:
In the occupied Ivankiv, Dymer ta Polissia territorial communities – a humanitarian catastrophe. There is no communication, electricity, food and medicine. The evacuation of people from the occupied Dymer community continues.
Slavutych is completely isolated. There is a need for food and medicine.
10:21 Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko:
In the morning, the Russians launched a missile strike on Kramatorsk. They hit a residential building and an administrative building. It is currently known about 2 dead and 6 wounded. The information is being clarified.
10:20 State Emergency Service of Ukraine:
In Kharkiv, as a result of enemy shelling, a six-storey educational building of a higher educational institution and two neighboring residential buildings were severely damaged. One person was killed, 11 people were injured and 1 person is under the rubble. Fires were extinguished in two residential buildings. The information is being clarified.
10:08 State Border Guard Service of Ukraine:
The situation at the Western border
On March 17, more than 73 thousand people and 14 thousand vehicles crossed the state border of Ukraine with the EU and the Republic of Moldova. There was a substantial decrease in passenger traffic compared to the previous day.
Yesterday, over 55 thousand people left Ukraine. Over 33 thousand of them crossed the Ukrainian-Polish border. Currently, there is low traffic of people and vehicles in all directions.
Yesterday, over 18 thousand people arrived in Ukraine. Almost 15 thousand of them are Ukrainian men. Overall, since the beginning of the overt armed aggression, more than 302 thousand Ukrainians have returned.
10:01 Spokesman of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ivan Ariefiev:
As a result, a fire broke out on the territory of the plant. The extent of the destruction and loss is being established. Currently, the fire is localized and is being eliminated by the SES.
9:56 Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko:
In two days, Mariupol was able to leave about 35 thousand civilians.
9:08 The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine:
As a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, as of the morning of March 18, 2022, 109 children were killed and more than 130 were injured. Children suffered the most in Kyiv – 55, Kharkiv – 34, Donetsk – 26, Chernihiv – 29, Mykolaiv – 20, Zhytomyr – 15, Sumy – 14, and Kherson – 14 oblasts.
The bombings and shelling damaged more than 439 educational institutions, 63 of which were completely destroyed. The most damaged were in Donetsk – 126, Kharkiv – 77, Mykolaiv – 39, Sumy – 32, Kyiv – 41, Kherson regions – 21 and the city of Kyiv – 35.
These data are not conclusive due to the inability to inspect the sites where active hostilities are taking place and in the temporarily occupied territories.
9:04 Ministry of Defense of Ukraine:
The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 18.03 were approximately:
- personnel ‒ about 14200,
- tanks ‒ 450,
- APV ‒ 1448,
- artillery systems – 205,
- MLRS ‒ 72,
- anti-aircraft warfare systems ‒ 43,
- aircraft – 93,
- helicopters – 112,
- vehicles ‒ 879,
- boats / cutters ‒ 3,
- fuel tanks ‒ 60,
- UAV operational-tactical level ‒ 12.
- special equipment ‒ 11.
Data are being updated. The calculation is complicated by the high intensity of hostilities.
8:33 Kyiv City State Administration:
The occupiers fired on a residential area in the Podilskyi district of Kyiv. A fire broke out in a 5-storey residential building. According to preliminary information from the State Emergency Service, 12 people were rescued, 98 people were evacuated and 4 people were injured. 1 person died.
8:21 Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi:
Russian missiles hit an aircraft repair plant – the building was destroyed. The active work of the plant was stopped in advance. Rescuers and utilities are working on site.
8:00 Mayor of Voznesensk Yevhen Velychko:
In the morning on March 18 Russians made air strike on Voznesensk in the Mykolaiv region. The front line remains unchanged.
According to the mayor, there are no victims among the civilian population.
7:18 State Emergency Service of Ukraine
The fire that broke out on March 17 in one of the largest shopping centers in Kharkiv is underway. As a result of the shelling, trade pavilions in various parts of the market caught fire. All efforts of the rescue service units are aimed at preventing the spread of flames to the housing sector and other related facilities. In total, more than 10 residential buildings were saved. During the firefighting, the enemy fired again. Two rescuers received numerous shrapnel wounds and were immediately sent to a medical facility. During hospitalization, one of the rescuers died of his injuries.
7:12 Head of Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Haidai:
More than 20 residential and infrastructural facilities were destroyed overnight in Sievierodonetsk and Rubizhne. At 5:00, Kreminna and Lysychansk were covered with BM-21 “Grad”. The number of civilian casualties is being determined.
06.00 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
Operational information on 06.00, 18.03.2022 regarding the Russian invasion
The twenty-third day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the russian military invasion began.
The state, position and nature of the actions of the defense forces have not changed significantly during the last day. The Armed Forces of Ukraine continued to strike devastating blows at groups of enemy troops trying to consolidate and hold the captured defensive lines.
During the past 24hrs, Ukrainian defenders have partially destroyed and halted the advance of units of the 437th Training Regiment and the 26th Tank Regiment of the Armed Forces of the russian federation into Ukraine, and the enemy’s losses are being clarified.
Also, for the previous day, bombing and assault aircraft of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted heavy blows on the columns of enemy military equipment. Anti-aircraft missile forces and fighter jets hit 14 enemy air targets (7 planes, 1 helicopter, 3 UAVs and 3 cruise missiles).
Due to the fact that the occupiers have significantly exhausted human resources (irreversible and sanitary losses caused by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, cases of self-mutilation, in order to evade hostilities and psychogenic losses), the command of the armed forces of the russian federation is forced to extreme measures in matters of staffing. They are conducting covert mobilization, attracting so-called “volunteers”, conscripts and cadets, as well as mercenaries from the Syrian Arab Republic.
In some temporarily occupied territories, the Russian occupiers are trying to create a positive image by distributing food to the civilian population. At the same time, they are actively searching for and detaining pro-Ukrainian activists, civil servants, members of the Anti-Terrorist Operation / Joint Forces Operation and members of their families, as well as other citizens who may organize resistance to the occupation.
The enemy continues to suffer losses. They have problems with providing units. The low moral and psychological condition of the personnel leads to an increase in the number of desertions and refusals of servicemen of the armed forces of the russian rederation and mercenaries to take part in the war against Ukraine.
The situation in the regions on the morning of March 18
