[The Epoch Times, March 11, 2022](The Epoch Times reporters Zhang Ting, Li Yan comprehensive report) Friday (March 10), the Russian-Ukrainian war entered the 16th day. Some of the Russian ground forces redeployed. Local authorities said more cities in Ukraine were targeted by air strikes on Friday. This move shows that the Russian army is expanding its attack on Ukraine. Russian media said that Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are developing positively. European and American stock markets rose in response.
Russian missiles hit airfields in the western Ukrainian cities of Ivano-Frankivsk and Lutsk at dawn on Friday. Explosion was heard in both cities. This shows that the Russian army is expanding the attack further into western Ukraine, which have rarely been attacked before.
U.S. Vice President Harrison and Romania’s president met on Friday to discuss the growing number of Ukrainian refugees. Biden administration officials and European leaders have warned that the issue could become more complicated in the days and weeks ahead.
Satellite images showed that the convoys of Russian troops gathered near Kyiv had been disbanded and redeployed. The British Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Friday that Russian ground forces continued to make limited progress and that logistical issues and strong Ukrainian resistance could hinder Russian forces from achieving their planned goals. Russia may be looking to redeploy and deploy its forces to resume the offensive in the coming days. This will likely include operations against the capital, Kyiv.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and will also speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the same day, EU leaders will vote to double EU financial support for Ukraine’s armed forces.
The following is a real-time update of the situation in Russia and Ukraine on March 10:
Russian troops shelled heavily in southern city of Nikolayev
On Friday night, heavy artillery shelling from the Russian army broke out around the southern Ukrainian city of Nikolayev (or Mykolaiv).
Social media videos showed fires in the area. The head of the Nikolayev regional administration, Vitaliy Kim, said there was “active hostilities near Guryivka” in the north of the city.
In a series of messages he sent via his Telegram channel, Kim said the bombing amounted to “the indiscriminate shooting of civilian targets,” including a cafe and apartment building.
Biden re-emphasizes: the United States will not send ground troops to Ukraine
“We’re not going to fight a third world war in Ukraine,” Biden said after reiterating the United States‘ full support for its NATO allies and promising the United States would defend “every inch” of NATO territory.
He added: “But I want to be clear, we will make sure that Ukraine has weapons to defend against the invading Russian army. We will send money and food aid to save the lives of Ukrainians. We will welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms if they It really came all the way here.”
On the same day, Vice President Harrison, who was visiting Romania, said that the U.S. commitment to defending NATO members was “an ironclad”.
“We take our role and our relationship in the NATO alliance very seriously,” Harris told a joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. When an attack is an attack on all parties’, we take it seriously and are ready to act on what we say.”
“We are firmly committed to our commitments,” she reiterated. “We will defend every inch of NATO’s territory.”
Responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means reaffirming NATO’s commitment, she said.
U.S. State Department: Americans fighting in Ukraine face significant risks, including arrest or death
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a Friday briefing that Americans who traveled to Ukraine and fought Ukrainian forces in the ongoing war would be viewed by the Russians as “mercenaries” or foreigners fighters, this puts them at greater risk of being “mistreated”.
U.S. citizens could also face criminal prosecution, arrest or death from Russia for fighting on behalf of Ukraine in the war, Price said. The U.S. will also be unable to evacuate U.S. citizens from Ukraine at any time, he added.
“U.S. citizens face significant risks if they travel to Ukraine, especially to participate in and fight there, including a very real risk of arrest or death,” Price said. Ukraine provides assistance to evacuate U.S. citizens, including those Americans who may decide to travel to Ukraine to participate in the ongoing war.”
Price said the State Department encouraged U.S. citizens to help Ukraine through humanitarian aid and other “constructive” means.
Kyiv mayor’s brother: Russian forces could attack Ukrainian capital at any time
Wladimir Klitschko, a member of the Territorial Defence Forces of Ukraine, former boxing champion and brother of the mayor of Kyiv, told CNN earlier on Friday that Russian forces have been attacking various regions of Ukraine today with their main targets The capital is Kyiv.
“In the next few days, we expect a major attack on the capital. They are regrouping. They are trying to find different strategies and trying to find the right way and the right time,” he said. An hour counts, and we expect an attack on the capital at any time.”
The will of the Ukrainian people is still strong, but they need support, he said.
“We have a lot of equipment, military equipment, we will do everything we can, and we are trying to surpass the Russian military as much as possible. I don’t know how long we will hold on, but we will hold on as long as we can,” he said. ” What is really needed is international support. You need to isolate Russia and the Russian economy. “
Fall of Udon Vornovaha
CNN reported that there is growing evidence that the eastern town of Volnovakha has fallen into the hands of the Russian army and its allies in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic.
The city has been surrounded almost since the beginning of the Russian invasion, but has been defended by the Ukrainian army through fierce fighting.
Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said that “a group of troops from the Donetsk People’s Republic liberated the city of Vornovaha” and several surrounding settlements.
Konashenkov said the militia had advanced about 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) and continued to intensify the siege of the besieged city of Mariupol.
Some social media videos from the city showed Russian troops and vehicles in several blocks, where Ukrainian tanks were abandoned. Other videos showed extensive damage to Volnovaha.
Vornovaha is located between Donetsk and Mariupol, and if it falls, the Russian army will be able to consolidate its control of the Donbas region.
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said humanitarian convoys remained completely inaccessible to Vornovaha. But Ukrainian authorities have not acknowledged that the city is under Russian control.
The White House on Friday said that Russia’s current strategy is “escalation without an end,” echoing U.S. President Joe Biden’s assessment that an eventual Russian victory is “impossible.”
Ukraine accuses Russia of planning ‘terrorist’ incident in Chernobyl
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says Russia is planning some sort of terrorist attack at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant is currently controlled by the Russian military.
CNN reported that this is the latest in a series of claims by Ukrainian authorities that Ukraine’s nuclear power infrastructure is at risk due to a Russian incursion, but none of those claims have come true.
“The available intelligence shows that Putin has ordered his troops to prepare for a terrorist attack in Chernobyl, which the Russian aggressors will try to blame on Ukraine,” the Defense Ministry’s main intelligence service said on its Facebook page on Friday.
The agency also reiterated that electricity supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has not been restored and that the plant “remains completely disconnected from the monitoring system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).” But Russia and Belarus claimed to have recovered on Thursday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday it could not confirm that power had been restored at the plant.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry also said on Friday that the Russian army had denied access to Chernobyl for a Ukrainian repair team. Without providing evidence, the ministry said “Belarusian experts” had traveled there posing as nuclear power experts, while Russian saboteurs were arriving to prepare for a terrorist attack.
Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly claimed that the other is planning to provoke an incident involving nuclear, chemical or biological agents, but neither has evidence.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Thursday that conditions at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian forces, were deteriorating because the IAEA was losing “a lot of information” about its safeguards system.
However, he said he was “encouraged by one important thing, that Ukraine and the Russian Federation wanted to cooperate with us, and they agreed to cooperate with us”.
Grossi met with the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers on Thursday. Ukraine’s nuclear regulator said personnel at the Chernobyl plant had “limited opportunities to communicate, act and carry out comprehensive maintenance and repair work.”
Putin: Russia and Russia will actually benefit from Western sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Western sanctions were an opportunity for Russia to strengthen its technological and economic sovereignty.
Putin said in his opening remarks to a meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow: “The last few years have shown that where Westerners have imposed restrictions on us, we have acquired new capabilities and have The old capabilities are restored at the technical level.”
“This is a moment of opportunity to move in the direction of strengthening technological and economic sovereignty,” Putin added.
Putin also said he believed that Russia and Belarus would get through these difficulties and would even “get more capabilities, more opportunities to feel independent, self-sufficient and ultimately benefit (from it), as they did in previous years. “.
Lukashenko agreed with Putin, saying Belarus has everything it needs to revive its economy under sanctions.
Lukashenko also said he was happy that the war in Ukraine had begun. Without providing evidence, he said Ukraine was “preparing not only to attack the Donbass, but also to set up an attack on Belarus”.
US defense official: Security aid cargo will arrive in Europe within the next 24 hours
A tranche of U.S. security aid for Ukraine will arrive in Europe within the next 24 hours, a senior U.S. Defense Department official told reporters on Friday.
“We will continue to flow to Ukraine as quickly as possible and with as many resources as possible.” The official added that the United States was also working to “coordinate” the shipment of security aid from other countries to Ukraine.
“It’s not just us. 14 other countries are also providing resources to Ukraine on a bilateral basis. We are helping to coordinate.” The U.S. and those countries are supplying anti-aircraft and anti-armor munitions Ukraine “mostly needs” right now, the official said.
Senior US defense official: Ukrainians are creative in self-defense
The Ukrainian Air Force still has about 56 fighter jets on the ground, a senior U.S. Defense Department official said on Friday, which is about 80 percent of the fixed-wing capability the Ukrainian Air Force had before the Russian attack.
The official told CNN that Ukraine is less reliant on their fixed-wing fighter jets in the war against Russia because they use other capabilities, including drones and surface-to-air missiles, to counter the Russian air force. The official said the Ukrainians flew about 5 to 10 sorties a day, while the Russians made about 200.
“The Ukrainians are again very creative in how they defend themselves and how they use the air power they have,” the official said. “They have used the tools they have very effectively, very creatively. Had a ‘good’ effect on Russian air power.”
In addition to fixed-wing fighter jets, Ukrainians have used drones effectively, the defense official said, noting that they are “cheap” and can fly below radar coverage.
“It’s a very flexible platform, and they’re using them, especially against Russian ground forces, to great effect.” The Ukrainians are also using surface-to-air missiles “very nimble and effective” against Russian forces, the official said.
Putin: Russia-Ukraine talks made progress, European and American stock markets rose
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday (March 10) that there had been some positive changes in talks between the Kremlin and Ukraine, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency, without providing any further details.
“As our negotiators reported to me, there are some positive developments,” Putin was quoted as saying by Interfax.
Putin’s remarks came as he met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow. Putin said talks between Russia and Ukraine were held “almost every day”.
European stock markets rose sharply on the news. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was last up 2.5%, up about 1% in early trade.
U.S. stock futures also rose, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures up more than 300 points and the Nasdaq 100 up about 1.4%.
Biden announces that he will cancel Russia’s “most-favored-nation” trade status
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Friday (March 10) that the United States will join the Group of Seven and the European Union in calling for the removal of Russia’s “most-favored-nation” status — known in the United States as permanent normal trade relations.
Biden said the move would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to “take greater responsibility for his aggression against Ukraine.”
“Each of our countries will take steps to deny Russia ‘most-favored-nation’ status,” Biden said. “Designating MFN means that two countries agree to trade on the best possible conditions — low tariffs, trade barriers. Very few and the highest allowed imports.”
“In the U.S., we call it Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), and it’s the same thing.” The U.S. president explained the implications of the move, “Revoking PNTR with Russia will make it harder for Russia to do business with the U.S. and Doing it together with other countries that make up half of the global economy would be another heavy blow to the Russian economy, which has already been hit very hard by our sanctions.”
That step would require action by Congress to pass a bill to back it up.
White House: There are ‘strong indications’ that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine
The White House said on Friday there were “strong indications” that Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine. But no announcement was made because an investigation is required by law before such an assessment can be made.
“We’ve all seen destructive images coming out of Ukraine, appalled by Russia’s brutality. Pregnant women on stretchers, apartment buildings shelled, families killed while seeking safety from this horrific violence.” “We’re also seeing reports of other types of potential abuse, including sexual and gender-based violence,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told reporters on Air Force One.
“These attacks are disgusting. Civilian casualties are increasing. It would be a war crime if Russia deliberately targeted civilians,” Bates continued. “There are strong indications that this is happening.”
Drone crashes near Croatian capital or came from Ukraine
A drone flying over several NATO countries from the Ukrainian war zone crashed overnight in Zagreb, a suburb of the Croatian capital, triggering a loud explosion, the Associated Press reported on Friday (March 10). Cars parked at the scene were damaged, but no one was injured.
A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alliance’s “integrated air and missile defense system tracked the flight path of an object that subsequently crashed in Zagreb.”
Earlier, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said it was “obvious” that it came from Ukraine. A statement issued by the Croatian government said the “unmanned military aircraft” entered Croatian airspace from neighboring Hungary at a speed of 430 mph and an altitude of 4,300 feet.
Military experts from the online magazine Battlefield said the plane was most likely a Soviet-era Tu-141 “Strizh” reconnaissance drone, and it must have suffered a serious malfunction.
Ukraine is the only known operator of the Tu-141, which has a wingspan of nearly 12 feet and weighs just over 6 tons, the magazine said.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser, Markian Lubkivskiy, was quoted by Interfax as saying that the drone that crashed in Croatia was otherwise Ukrainian.
Biden: Russia will pay a heavy price if it uses chemical weapons in Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden warned on Friday (March 10) that Russia would pay a “heavy price” if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine.
“I’m not going to talk about intelligence, but if Russia uses chemical weapons, they will pay dearly,” Biden told CNN after announcing further sanctions and export controls on Russia.
The U.S. government previously found that the Russian government was responsible for the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny in 2020 and Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the U.K. in 2018. and Yulia Skripal) used chemical weapons in the poisoning incident, for which sanctions were imposed under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and War Elimination Act.
In addition, the Russian-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria used chemical weapons in an attack in 2017.
Biden spoke again today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Like every time we talked, I told him that when the Ukrainian people fought bravely to defend their country, the United States stood with them, and they were doing it,” he told reporters at the White House.
US defense official: Russia has launched more than 800 missiles
The Russian military has fired more than 800 missiles since the invasion of Ukraine began, a senior U.S. Defense Department official told reporters on Friday (March 10).
The official added that about half of the “various, varied and large” missiles came from within Ukraine and about the other half were launched from Russia and Belarus.
White House official: US will ban imports of Russian alcohol and seafood
A White House official told CNN that the United States will ban the import of alcohol and seafood from Russia, such as vodka and caviar, as well as diamonds.
U.S. President Joe Biden will speak at the White House soon, calling for the removal of Russia’s “most-favored-nation” status, or permanent normal trade relations in the United States.
The move was made in coordination with the G7 and EU allies, and required the backing of a bill in Congress.
Biden also said that as the war on Ukraine continues, the G7 is increasing sanctions on more Russian oligarchs and their families.
Zelensky: Ukraine opens 12 new evacuation routes on Friday
On Friday (March 11), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recorded a video address to the nation in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine has organized 12 new evacuation routes, he said.
He added that consignments containing food and medicine were en route to cities and towns such as Bucha, Volnovakha and Mariupol.
The Ukrainian military has “secured a ceasefire for the operation of these humanitarian corridors.” The president said that if Russia “fires again and disrupts the rescue of people, they will get the world‘s response”.
Routes from Mariupol and Vornovaha have been repeatedly blocked or inaccessible over the past week. But in Izium, which has been extensively damaged, the evacuation has been more successful.
These routes have not been agreed with Russia, and the routes announced by the Russian side are different.
Harris: Putin not interested in ‘serious diplomacy’
US Vice President Kamala Harris said Putin was not interested in “serious diplomacy”.
Harris, who is visiting Romania, said the United States is committed to finding a diplomatic solution. But she’s not optimistic about whether Moscow thinks the same.
“The United States has been trying to engage in diplomacy in good faith from the very beginning,” she said. “From everything we know and see, Putin has shown no sign of engaging in serious diplomacy.”
“We insist that diplomacy is the way to address these issues,” she said, which should “coexist with our commitment to ensure that our alliance is strong and that what Russia does will have serious consequences and accountability.” “
Kremlin: Foreign fighters can be sent to fight in Donbass
Volunteers from “the Middle East and Syria” could be sent to fight for Russia in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin said, saying it had received more than 16,000 applications from abroad.
In a video conference of the Russian Security Council on Friday (March 10), Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that his ministry had received “a large number of volunteers from various countries”. application”, asking to “participate in what they consider a liberation movement”.
Putin supports Shoigu’s proposal to help transport volunteers willing to fight in the self-declared Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, territories controlled by separatists in eastern Ukraine.
“If you see people who want to help people living in Donbass on a voluntary basis, especially not for money, then we need to welcome them and help them to the war zone,” Putin said.
EU plans to propose before mid-May: no longer rely on Russian energy by 2027
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday (March 10) that the European Union plans to submit proposals by mid-May to end its dependence on Russia for energy by 2027.
Von der Leyen joined EU Council President Charles Michel and French President Emmanuel Macron after the EU leaders’ summit on Ukraine in Versailles, France: “By mid-May, We will put forward a proposal to gradually eliminate our dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal by 2027, backed by the necessary national and European resources.”
Earlier this week, the European Union said it would cut Russian gas imports by two-thirds this year and eliminate overall demand for Russian oil and gas “by 2030.”
Von der Leyen also added that by the end of March, the committee will present “plans to limit the contagion effect of rising gas prices on electricity prices.” The EU plans to set up a task force to design a replenishment plan for next winter.
“The EU needs to define a longer-term EU gas storage policy. So the Commission will submit a proposal to fill underground gas storage to at least 90% by October 1 every year,” she said. “This will be our way of preventing supply disruptions. insurance strategy.”
United Nations: Reliable reports of Russian use of cluster bombs in Ukraine.
The UN Human Rights Office said it had received credible reports of multiple cases of Russian forces using cluster bombs in populated areas of Ukraine, Reuters reported.
The UN added that the use of such weapons could constitute a war crime.
“The use of cluster munitions in densely populated areas is inconsistent with the principles of international humanitarian law governing the conduct of hostilities,” U.N. spokeswoman Liz Throssell told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland.
“We remind the Russian authorities that attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as so-called area bombing and other forms of indiscriminate attacks on towns and villages, are prohibited by international law and may constitute war crimes.”
EU plans to double military support for Ukraine
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that EU leaders will vote on the same day to double EU financial support for Ukraine’s armed forces. If passed, it would increase EU financial support for Ukraine’s military to more than $1 billion.
“Everyone is fully aware that we have to increase our military support to Ukraine to continue to put pressure on Russia, so another $550 million,” he said.
It would not be difficult to persuade EU leaders to take the move, Borrell said, and it would be done through the European Peace Fund programme.
Financial support will be “immediate,” Borrell said, “and money is flowing quickly now.”
On February 28, the European Council agreed for the first time to finance Ukraine’s armed forces, including the purchase of lethal equipment.
U.S. to announce more action to hold Russia accountable
The White House said on Thursday (March 10) that President Biden will announce new actions on Friday (March 10) that will allow the United States to “continue to hold Russia accountable for waging an unprovoked and unwarranted war” against Ukraine.
Biden will announce the measures from the White House at 10:15 a.m. ET Friday before heading to Philadelphia, where he will address the House Democratic caucus.
UK increases sanctions on 386 Russian MPs
In solidarity with Ukraine, Britain on Friday (March 10) imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia, targeting 386 Russian MPs.
Under the measures, politicians who back Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine will face travel bans and asset freezes, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement on Friday.
The lawmakers are members of the Russian Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, which recognizes the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine and authorizes the permanent presence of Russian troops there, “as a pretext for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “.
“We are targeting those who were complicit in Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and those who supported this brutal war,” Truss said. “We will not ease our pressure and will continue to tighten the screws on the Russian economy through sanctions.”
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#