[Update 3.18]Ukrainian Army: The main road of Russia’s attack on Kyiv was blocked | Russian-Ukrainian War | Russia | Ukraine

[The Epoch Times, March 18, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Zhang Ting, Li Yan comprehensive report) Friday (March 18), the Russian-Ukrainian war entered the 23rd day. A Russian missile attacked a suburb of the western city of Lviv. Air raid sirens sounded again in the capital, Kyiv, and a five-story residential building was hit by rocket wreckage and caught fire. On the same day, explosions were also heard in the strategic southern city of Odessa on the Black Sea. Japan announces new round of sanctions against Russia. France says Western sanctions against Russia are having a real impact.

Russia is continuing its siege as the war enters its fourth week, although U.S. and British intelligence officials say the overall Russian offensive has slowed due to heavy losses, logistical problems and strong Ukrainian resistance.

The western Ukrainian city of Lviv was not an active site of Russian attacks before. Many Ukrainians who escaped attacks from other places took refuge here, but on Friday it was also attacked by multiple Russian missiles, indicating that the Russian army is continuing. Expand the scope of the attack.

Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Friday that a fifth round of sanctions against Russia was being discussed with the European Union.

According to the White House, at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden will have a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the long-term relationship between China and Russia. At a time of tension between Russia and Ukraine, the call attracted global attention.

The following is a real-time update of the situation in Russia and Ukraine on March 18:

US Defense Secretary: Russian forces continue to make ‘incremental progress’ in southern Ukraine

US Defense Secretary Austin said Saturday that Russia continued to make “incremental progress” in southern Ukraine and used “brutal tactics” in operations against civilians.

“In terms of the progress of the Russians in the south, I would say they continue to make incremental progress,” Austin told a joint news conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kirill Petkov in Sofia. I mean, in the way they target civilians, they use some brutal, barbaric techniques.”

“And, again, we hope that they (Russia) will choose a different path,” Austin added, saying the level of suffering on civilians is “stunning.”

Austin also said that Europe faced “the greatest security challenge in generations” and that it was “tragic” that Russian President Vladimir Putin “choose war” against Ukraine.

“Increasing Bulgaria’s military readiness and NATO interoperability is even more important today,” Austin said, adding that “the United States will continue to stand with Bulgaria and our other NATO allies.”

Austin traveled to Bulgaria and Slovakia this week as part of a trip to support NATO allies.

Zelensky shouts to Russia: It’s time for talks

“It’s time for talks,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Russia in a video message earlier Saturday.

“I want everyone to hear what I’m saying now, especially in Moscow. It’s time to meet and talk,” Zelensky said in a video posted on Facebook.

“It is time to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and justice. Otherwise, the losses that Russia will face will take generations to recover,” he said.

The two sides have been holding talks for weeks and are still negotiating, but at a slow pace and those talks have not yet reached the presidential level. The latest round of negotiations between the two sides was held on the 14th.

Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on the 18th that Moscow and Kyiv had “brought as close as possible” each other’s positions on Ukraine’s proposal to become a neutral country.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president who was involved in the negotiations, said Ukraine’s position had not changed.

Zelensky also said in Saturday’s video that the Russian military’s actions are worsening the situation in their own country, and that honest negotiations as soon as possible are the only way to mitigate the damage. “We’ve been negotiating,” he said. “We’ve been coming up with dialogue and solutions for peace. Not just during the 23-day period of the invasion.”

He also said in the video that 180,000 Ukrainians have been rescued through humanitarian corridors so far, and that seven corridors were operating across the country on Friday – six in the Sumy region and one in Donetsk. area.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry: Temporarily lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said late Friday that it had temporarily lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov as invading Russian forces tightened their grip on Mariupol, the main port in the Sea of ​​Azov.

“The occupiers achieved a partially successful operation in the Donetsk region, temporarily cutting off Ukraine’s access to the Sea of ​​Azov,” the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not specify in its statement whether Ukrainian forces had regained access to the Sea of ​​Azov.

Russia said on Friday that its troops were “tightening” the ropes surrounding Mariupol, where an estimated 80 percent of the city’s homes have been damaged. About 1,000 people may still be trapped in a makeshift bomb shelter beneath a destroyed theater.

Mariupol is strategically located on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov. It has been a target of the Russian military since February 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a “special military operation”.

The city lies on a route between the Crimea peninsula annexed by Russia to the west and the Donetsk region controlled by pro-Russian separatists to the east.

Russia claimed as early as March 1 that its forces had severed Ukrainian forces from the Sea of ​​Azov.

Russia’s chief negotiator: Moscow and Kyiv narrow differences on Ukraine neutrality

The head of the Russian delegation negotiating with Ukrainian officials said the two sides were closer to reaching an agreement on Ukraine’s neutrality.

Vladimir Medinsky, who has led Russian negotiators through multiple rounds of talks with Ukraine, including this week, said on Friday that the two sides had narrowed their differences over Ukraine’s decision to abandon NATO and adopt neutral status .

“The issue of Ukraine’s neutrality and non-membership of NATO is one of the key issues of the talks, and on this issue the positions of the two sides have reached the greatest degree of approximation,” Medinsky said in a speech carried by the Russian news agency.

He added that the two sides were now “half-talked” on the demilitarization of Ukraine. Medinsky noted that while Kyiv insists that Russia-backed separatist regions of eastern Ukraine must be returned, Russia believes that the people of these regions must be left to decide their own destiny.

Medinsky pointed to a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after negotiators finalized a draft treaty to end hostilities and received preliminary approval from the two governments.

Satellite images show Russian troops building fortifications northwest of Kyiv to protect positions

An analysis of satellite images taken by U.S. civilian satellite imagery company Maxar Technologies shows that the Russian military is digging three feet northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to build earthen berms around military equipment.

New satellite imagery shows construction of fortifications around Russian military equipment near Ozera and Antonov air bases.

More Russian military equipment can also be seen in the villages of Zdvyzhivka and Berestyanka, further northwest of Kyiv, along with some fortifications.

Ukrainian army: Russian army’s main road to attack Kyiv is blocked

The Ukrainian armed forces gave an optimistic assessment of their defense in Kyiv, saying two main routes of Russia’s attack on the capital had been blocked.

According to Deputy Chief of Staff Alexander Hruzevych (Oleksandr Hruzevych), the Russian army clearly wants to surround and then capture the capital. Faced with such a situation, the Ukrainian side has blocked the Russian troops on both sides of the Dnipro River. The river bisects the city from north to south.

“As of today, the enemy has been blocked nearly 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) from the right bank of the city, which makes it impossible for them to fire, except for rockets. On the left bank, the advance is (also) blocked. The enemy is out of breath. attack our infrastructure,” he said Friday, “[but]the main avenues of attack are blocked.”

Khruzevic said the Russians had given up attacking Brovary, northeast of Kyiv, and Boryspil, southeast. He said the Ukrainian army was “trying to strengthen the third distant line of defense” to protect the capital.

Xi-Xi calls Biden to warn of the consequences of supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN that his call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday “was going well.”

During a nearly two-hour phone call with Chinese leaders, Biden “described the impact and consequences if China provided Russia with material support,” according to the White House.

“The president has emphasized his support for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.” The White House said the two leaders agreed to keep “channels of communication open.”

According to the White House’s interpretation of the call, the two sides’ “conversation focused on the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Biden outlined the views of the United States and our allies and partners on this crisis. President Biden detailed our Efforts to prevent and respond to the invasion, including making Russia pay.”

“He described the impact and consequences if China (CCP) provided material support to Russia in its brutal attack on Ukrainian cities and civilians. The president stressed that he supports a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The two leaders also agreed to maintain The importance of open communication channels.” The statement said that Biden also mentioned the Taiwan issue.

“The President reiterated that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed and emphasized that the United States continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo. The two leaders tasked their teams to follow up on today’s conversation at a critical time ahead.”

U.S. Defense Secretary meets with U.S. and NATO forces in Bulgaria

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met U.S. and NATO troops stationed there in Bulgaria on Friday. He told officers and soldiers they were building “trust” by training side by side.

“You can’t have a last-minute surge in trust; trust is something you work on every day. From what I’ve heard, that’s exactly what you’re doing,” Austin said. “You’re building with our allies. Trust, you’re getting to know each other more, which I think is fantastic.”

The U.S. troops in Bulgaria are part of a U.S. deployment aimed at strengthening U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance and strengthening the eastern flank.

A reporter traveling with Austin did a brief interview with an Army major who is currently deployed in Bulgaria. He is from Rosenberg, Germany.

Major Ryan Mannina said soldiers there were “agitated” but “understood the strategic implications of our mission”.

“We’re very, very aware and aware of the fact that there’s a war going on just a few hundred miles from us, and we, I think the soldiers are happy to be a part of what’s really important here and understand the strategic implications of our mission , secure our allies and build a combat-ready force on behalf of NATO.”

Civil service in Vinnitsa: At least 3 cruise missiles were shot down by air defense systems on Friday

At least three cruise missiles were shot down by air defenses in the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia on Friday morning, the head of the war and civil administration in Vinnytsia reported.

According to Ukrainian authorities, Vinnitsa faces increasing rocket attacks from Russian forces. The city’s TV tower and airport have been hit by airstrikes over the past two weeks.

Zelensky: 130 rescued, hundreds still under the ruins of the theater

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that 130 people had been rescued so far from a bombed theater in the city of Mariupol.

Thousands of people took shelter in the theater when it was bombed on Wednesday.

Speaking on Ukrainian television, Zelensky said rescue operations at the scene continued despite the difficulties.

However, he added that there are still hundreds of Mariupols under the rubble.

Earlier on Friday, officials in the Donetsk region and Kyiv said they had no updated information on survivors of the attack.

Ukrainian human rights commissioner Liudmyla Denisova said on Thursday that there were no newly released figures, but that a total of 1,300 people were said to have taken refuge in the building, of which 130 were rescued.

“We still don’t have missile defense, we don’t have enough fighter jets,” Zelensky said, adding that “we will call on certain Western leaders louder” for much more weapons assistance.

The Ukrainian president also said, “We will become a full member of the European Union, and every civil servant is working 24 hours a day for this goal.”

Baltic states to expel 10 Russian diplomats in concert

The Baltic groups coordinated the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats, according to statements from the foreign ministries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia on Friday.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs confirmed in a tweet on Friday that the decision “has been coordinated with Lithuania and Estonia.”

Lithuania declared four Russian embassy employees persona non grata, while Latvia and Estonia each took the same measure against three Russian embassy staff.

“The expelled persons must leave the Republic of Latvia by 23:59 on March 23,” the Latvian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Lithuania also ordered the four diplomats to leave the country within five days, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said.

The Estonian foreign ministry said all three Russian embassy staff “directly and actively undermined the security of Estonia and spread propaganda justifying Russian military operations”.

Head of U.S. Central Command: The Russian army seems to lack motivation in the Ukrainian war

The commander of U.S. Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Friday that the Russian military did not appear to be “particularly active” in the fight against Ukraine.

McKinsey said of the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine: “At least from where I’m at, they don’t seem to be particularly active and not particularly invested in what they’re doing.”

CNN reported that U.S. Central Command oversees the U.S. military presence in the Middle East. McKinsey will retire in the next few weeks.

White House: Call to Xi ends

The White House said a security video call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended at 10:53 a.m. ET.

The call began at 9:03 a.m. ET and lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes.

According to the Chinese Communist Party media CCTV, Xi told Biden, “The relationship between countries cannot go to the stage of fighting against each other. Conflict and confrontation are not in the interests of any party.” And China and the United States “have the responsibility to work for peace. .”

A few days earlier, a U.S. diplomatic cable showed that China was somewhat open to providing Russia with military and financial assistance to help it invade Ukraine. U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence told CNN earlier this week that it was unclear whether China intended to provide Russia with such assistance at its request.

“This is part of our ongoing effort to keep the lines of communication open between the U.S. and China,” Psaki had said.

The U.S. and Europe have repeatedly warned China that if it provides aid to Russia to help it attack Ukraine, it will become the target of sanctions.

Japan announces new sanctions on Russia

Japan will impose sanctions on 15 Russian individuals and nine organizations, the Japanese foreign affairs and trade ministries jointly announced on Friday.

The move will increase the number of Russian individuals sanctioned by Japan to 76 and the number of organizations to 12.

The 15 new people include Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko, Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikh Alexander Mikheev and Suleyman Kerimov, owner of the financial and industrial group Nafta.

Other organizations sanctioned include Rosneft Aero, United Shipbuilding Corporation and Kurganmashzavod.

Russian state TV confirms death of commander of airborne troops in Ukraine

At least five Russian service members, including the commander of the Kostroma airborne force, were killed in the battle against Ukraine, regional state television network GTRK Kostroma reported on Thursday.

During the “special operation” against Ukraine, soldiers of the 331st Guards Airborne Regiment “did their lives for the safety of (Russia)”, according to GTRK Kostroma, citing the regional military council.

The dead included the commander of the unit, Colonel Sergei Sukharev, Senior Sergeant Sergei Lebedev, Sergeant Alexander Limonov, Corporal Yuri Yuri Dektyarev and Captain Alexei Nikitin.

The 331st Guards Airborne Regiment is considered one of Russia’s elite units. The regiment fought in two Chechen wars, and some of its members were directly involved in the Donbas conflict in 2014-2015. The team also participated in the Victory Day parade on Red Square in May 2018.

Biden and Xi Jinping call

A White House official said a security video call between U.S. President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping began at 9:03 a.m. ET.

Chinese Communist Party media CCTV also reported that a phone call between the two world leaders was in progress.

Russian Foreign Minister: All arms shipments entering Ukraine will be targeted

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that any arms shipment entering Ukraine would be a “legitimate” Russian target, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

“We have made it very clear that any cargo that will enter Ukrainian territory, we believe … cargo (carrying) weapons, will be targeted by Russia,” he reportedly told state TV channel RT.

Several NATO countries have already pledged military aid to Ukraine, from drones to anti-tank missiles.

According to the TASS news agency, Lavrov said that Soviet- and Russian-made missile defense systems used by some NATO countries cannot be “legally” transferred to third countries.

UK revokes state-funded Russian propaganda network RT broadcast licence

Britain on Friday revoked the broadcasting license of Kremlin-backed propaganda network RT, according to a statement from the regulator.

A statement from regulator Ofcom said an investigation into RT found that its licensee, ANO TV Novosti, was unfit to hold a UK broadcasting licence.

“RT was funded by the Russian state (which recently invaded a neighboring sovereign state),” the statement said. “We also note that Russia’s new law effectively criminalizes any independent news that deviates from the Russian state’s own news narrative, Especially with regard to the invasion of Ukraine. We believe that, given these restrictions, it seems unlikely that RT would comply with the appropriate impartiality rules of our broadcasting regulations in this context.”

RT was shut down in the UK two weeks ago after the UK and EU imposed sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow denounced the decision, saying it was part of “an anti-Russian frenzy being staged in Europe and the United States” and another step in “severely restricting freedom of expression.”

“I have no doubt that RT will continue to share its voice and views with those who want to see and hear it,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

France: Western sanctions are starting to have a real impact on Russia

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told CNN affiliate BFMTV on Friday that Western sanctions were starting to have a “real impact” on Russia.

“That’s the focus of our actions, and all the measures we’re taking are aimed at making sure that this war costs him (Russian President Vladimir Putin) so dearly that in the end he will be forced to give up,” Attar said.

He cited the devaluation of the ruble, the closure of the Moscow Stock Exchange for nearly three weeks and Russia’s second-largest oil company, Lukoil, calling on Putin to end the conflict as evidence of the impact of sanctions.

“I know it’s a good balance,” Attar said.

“We are maximizing Putin’s war costs, hoping that at some point the sanctions will have such an effect that he will be forced to review his plans. And while we wait for that moment, we will pass the necessary Support and keep them going.”

Putin talks to German chancellor

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday. Putin accused Ukraine of delaying the negotiation process.

Putin outlined his assessment of the ongoing video talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, according to the minutes of the call released by the Kremlin.

“It has been noted that the Kyiv regime is doing everything possible to delay the negotiation process, making more and more unrealistic proposals. Despite this, Russia is ready to continue to seek solutions in line with its well-known principled approach,” the minutes of the call said.

Putin claimed that the Russian Armed Forces are doing everything possible to save civilian lives, including organizing safety corridors for people evacuated from war zone cities.

The Kremlin said the call was first proposed by Germany.

During their hour-long call, Scholz reiterated his call for Russia to “cease fire as soon as possible” and “as soon as possible,” according to a tweet from German Chancellor Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit. improve the humanitarian situation and make progress towards a diplomatic solution.”

It was the third conversation between Scholz and Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine. The last conversation was with Putin on March 12 with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters by phone that the two leaders had “difficult but pragmatic” discussions. “Certainly, it’s hard to call a conversation friendly. It’s a tough conversation,” he said.

“But nonetheless, there is a need for this engagement, the exchange of information, the discussion of sensitive topics related to the special operations.”

Ukrainian official: 2 killed, 6 injured in Kramatorsk missile attack

At least two people were killed and six wounded after a missile attack on the city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, the head of the Donetsk regional government, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said.

Kirilenko said other details of the attack were being worked out.

Kramatorsk was one of the first cities targeted by Russian forces when it launched an invasion of Ukraine more than three weeks ago.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Fifth round of sanctions discussed with EU

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said on Friday he had spoken with Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, about preparations for the EU’s fifth sanctions package against Russia.

“The pressure will continue to build as long as it is necessary to stop Russian barbarism. We also discussed protection and assistance for those Ukrainians who arrived in the EU as a result of escaping Russian bombs.”

Ukrainian Army: About 14,200 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the war

About 14,200 Russian soldiers have been killed since the Russian invasion began more than three weeks ago; 450 Russian tanks and nearly 1,450 other armored combat vehicles have been destroyed, along with 93 Russian planes and 112 other armored combat vehicles, according to CNN. Helicopter was destroyed.

In addition, 205 Russian artillery systems were destroyed, along with 72 multiple rocket systems and 43 anti-aircraft weapon systems.

The Epoch Times could not confirm the numbers. Russia rarely releases this information, and officials rarely report its losses. The most recent figures appear to have been released on March 2, when Russia said 498 servicemen had died since the campaign began.

Responsible editor: Lin Yan#