The mayor of Melitopol was released in exchange for 9 Russian soldiers. The soldiers were 18-19, according to Dasha Zarivna, a spokesperson for the presidential chief of staff, quoted by the Ukrainian press. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was kidnapped and held captive by Russian forces for five days.
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DOSSIER: THE CONFLICT | TRAILS OF WAR | Timeline: events
01.55 Russians form Salvation Committee in Kherson
The body set up in Kherson (center of southern Ukraine with nearly 300,000 inhabitants) to govern the city in this phase of war is called the “Committee of Salvation for Peace and Order”. It includes pro-Russian politicians and local figures. The news was reported by local media. The committee was created by representatives of the Russian army, which has occupied the city since the beginning of March.
01.53 Biden: “In Ukraine we see ferocity against civilians every day”
“Every day we see ferocity against civilians in Ukraine. Real ferocity, the bombing of hospitals.” Joe Biden said this when speaking at an Irish Fund 30th anniversary event on Saint Patrick’s day.
01.41 For Russians it is worse than Chechnya and Afghanistan
“If the war against the Ukrainian people continues, Russian mothers will lose more children than in the Afghan and Chechen wars combined.” This was stated by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video posted on social media. Then he turned back to the enemy soldiers: “Every Russian soldier who lays down his weapons will have a chance, a chance to survive. I specifically address the conscripts who have been thrown into the cauldron of this war. Another’s war. And another’s war. to other Russian soldiers who still have an instinct for self-preservation. Put your weapons down. It’s better than dying on the battlefield, on our land. “
01.26 Zelensky: world must recognize Russia as a terrorist state
“The world must officially recognize that Russia has become a terrorist state.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his night video speech, reiterating his call for more sanctions against Moscow, more weapons for Ukraine and the establishment of the no-fly zone.
01.16 Zelensky: End of the war is the priority of the negotiations
“My priorities in the negotiations are absolutely clear: end of the war, guarantees of security, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country”. This was stated by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video posted on social media to take stock of the twenty-first day of the war.
“We are already working – added Zelensky – on programs to rebuild our country after the war. I promise everyone, every Ukrainian who has lost his home, who has lost his apartment due to hostility or bombing, that the state will restore everything. I am confident that we will be able to quickly rebuild our state, whatever the damage. It will be a historical reconstruction, a project that will inspire the world as well as our struggle for our freedom. “
01.07 Foreign Minister France: Russia pretends to negotiate
Russia is only “pretending to negotiate” with Ukraine and is engaging in a “dramatic process of lasting brutality”. This was stated by the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. “There is only one emergency: the ceasefire. It is only on this basis that you can negotiate, because you don’t negotiate with a gun in your head,” he told ‘Le Parisien’. Le Drian explained that France would hold Russia “solely responsible” for any use of chemical or biological weapons in the war. Such use of unconventional weapons, he added, “would constitute an intolerable escalation and would lead in response to absolutely massive and radical economic sanctions, without taboos”.
01.03 Russian emergency ministry website hacked
The website of the Russian ministry for emergency situations has been ‘hacked’. Various messages about the conflict in Ukraine appeared on the homepage, including “More than 13,000 Russian soldiers died in the war” or “Don’t believe the Russian media: they lie”. The attack occurred on the evening of March 16. The technicians intervened promptly and now the site is under maintenance and “temporarily unreachable”.
00.43 US will supply Switchblade drones to Ukraine
The United States will provide Ukraine with the small and light Switchblade drones in the new military aid package. This was reported by sources cited by CNN. The smallest, the Switchblade 300, can hit a target up to 6 miles away, while the largest, the Switchblade 600, can hit more than 20 miles away. Both systems can be configured and started in minutes.