The British embassy in Moscow was today forced to give an official statement confirming King Charles III is still alive after Russian media claimed he had died.
A host of Russian news sites and their associated social media accounts reported earlier today that the King had died aged 75 as a result of cancer complications, citing unnamed 'media' sources in an inexplicable stream of posts.
It came as an image of a clearly fake statement from 'Buckingham Palace' reporting Charles' 'unexpected death' was circulated on social media.
'King Charles III of Great Britain has died at the age of 75, according to media reports,' Russian newswire Sputnik reported.
'There is no information about this on the royal family website or in the British media.'
Minutes later their stories were updated after they were forced to climb down following reports the King was in fact not dead.
[GEO.TV] After claiming a "landslide victory" in yet another re-election, Russian President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... , in a news conference Monday said that the country would not be "intimidated" by anyone, the Daily Star reported.
Following the presidential elections in Russia, Putin hailed a victory that paves the way for the former spy to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than 200 years.
All of the 71-year-old's main opponents, according to AFP, are either dead, imprisoned or exiled, while he has overseen an unremitting crackdown on anyone who openly criticises his authority or his military offensive on Ukraine.
Early Monday, in a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Moscow hours after polls closed, Putin said: "I want to thank all of you and all citizens of the country for your support and this trust.
"No matter who or how much they want to intimidate us, no matter who or how much they want to suppress us, our will, our consciousness — no one has ever succeeded in anything like this in history. It has not worked now and will not work in the future. Never."
Putin received 87.2% of the total votes cast, according to official election data, with more than 80% of polling places.
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Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:35 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that he does not see a foundation for resolving the conflict in Ukraine this year: “There is no foundation in 2024 to expect the development of this issue. We do not see this in the near future.”
22:28 Most EU foreign ministers supported the use of income from Russian assets for Ukraine, but there is no unanimous final decision yet, Borrell said.
21:39 Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that on Sunday, March 17, the region was attacked about 60 times, as a result of which four people were killed and 23 were injured. According to him, at least 30 shells were fired at six municipalities in the region, nine explosive devices were dropped from a drone, and 20 drone attacks were also carried out.
20:43 The Cabinet of Ministers submitted to parliament a bill to increase the number of border guards by 15 thousand military personnel. Reserves need to be increased so that border guards in the post-war period can take control of the border on their own and adequately respond to threats, the government explains.
20:28 There are no risks of breaking through the border in the Sumy region, assured the head of the OBA Vladimir Artyukh. According to him, now the biggest danger in the region is constant air and missile attacks, including on infrastructure, the intensity of which has increased significantly recently. Artyukh said that up to five border settlements are suffering from shelling, in each of which there are from three to ten people left - they are now being evacuated. Local residents completely abandoned 22 settlements in the region.
19:59 Zelensky said in an evening video message that logistics in the army had become “noticeably more efficient.” The president also assured that this year Ukraine will reach its maximum defense production since independence. “And every year we will invariably add to this potential of ours - an obvious strategic prospect for Ukraine,” the head of state emphasized.
19:03 Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham said during a visit to Kiev that he will ask the Biden administration to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. He also emphasized that Putin’s supposed 87% support in the presidential elections is “so impressive that there is no trust in it.” Graham believes that after such “elections” Putin is illegitimate.
18:58 Ukraine has again been rocked by scandals involving employees of territorial recruitment centers. The first occurred in Transcarpathia. There, as the man’s relatives claim, TCC employees allegedly kidnapped him from the hotel and drove him to attempt suicide. The second incident occurred in Lviv. So the military commissars forced the volunteer into the car without serving a summons. Read more about these stories in the article New scandals with the TCC.
18:49 Poland and Germany will officially launch an armored coalition to help Ukraine on March 26, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh said.
18:42 Putin said at a concert marking the tenth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea that he had received a report on the restoration of the railway from Rostov-on-Don to Donetsk and Mariupol, and promised to “continue this work.” According to him, “soon trains will go directly to Sevastopol, and this will be another alternative road instead of the Crimean Bridge.”
18:16 Zelensky said that he met in Kiev with member of the US Senate Lindsey Graham - they discussed assistance to Ukraine, the situation on the front line and the needs of the army. “The continued provision of military-technical assistance by partners, including air defense systems and missiles for them, is critically important,” the president emphasized. They also discussed the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, sanctions against the Russian Federation and the use of frozen Russian assets.
17:47 Syrsky appointed Major Ilya Yevlash as head of the public relations service of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
16:55 The EU Council of Foreign Ministers has made a final decision to allocate an additional 5 billion euros for military support to Ukraine within the framework of the European Peace Fund, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.
16:38 The Russians attacked the civilian infrastructure of Konotop and settlements in the Sumy region. Preliminarily, there were no fatalities; public utility facilities were damaged in Konotop. The head of the OVA, Vladimir Artyukh, said that compared to last week, the number of shellings has increased significantly - the number of uses of tactical aviation and multiple launch rocket systems has increased. Velikaya Pisarevka suffers the most from shelling.
16:04 Since the beginning of 2024, the Russian army has been using seven times more ammunition at the front than the Ukrainian Defense Forces, said Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Gavrilyuk. In addition, according to him, the enemy has a significant advantage in aviation: in just 77 days of 2024, the Russians dropped more than 3,500 aircraft on Ukrainian positions and front-line territories, which is 16 times more than in 2023.
15:29 The international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children, jointly led by Ukraine and Canada, has already united 33 countries, the Presidential Office reported.
15:07 The Cabinet of Ministers approved a bill on the creation of groups in Ukraine to search for missing persons during the war. Groups will be created in agreement with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. It is envisaged that the Koorshtab will be given the right to negotiate with humanitarian missions, public associations and individuals operating in temporarily occupied territories in order to search for persons who have gone missing under special circumstances.
14:25 Zelensky said that he held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - received detailed information from the front, heard Syrsky’s report on the main directions of active operations, reports on expenditures and receipts of ammunition, and intelligence data. In addition, there were reports on the protection of critical infrastructure and the construction of defense lines.
14:11 Since last year, North Korea has sent about 7,000 containers with ammunition and other military equipment to Russia, said South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik. Pyongyang likely received more than 9,000 containers of aid in exchange for military support, he said.
13:39 The Cabinet of Ministers has allocated an additional 5 billion hryvnia for the Security and Defense Forces, Shmyhal said. The funds will be used to purchase drones.
13:04 NATO soldiers are already in Ukraine for arms control, intelligence operations and training, writes the Spanish newspaper El País. At the same time, the publication interviewed many military sources from Ukraine and the EU over more than two years of war, and they all claim that not a single NATO army participated in ground combat.
12:49 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with the elected President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and invited his country to take part in the inaugural Peace Summit, as well as to join the implementation of the Peace Formula clauses on food and nuclear security and the exchange of prisoners.
12:36 Peskov said that the United States is “de facto deeply involved in the conflict” in Ukraine and is “essentially at war with Russia.” He also explained that Putin, speaking about creating a “sanitary zone” on the border with Ukraine, meant “taking measures to ensure the security of Russian territory, which is under attack.”
12:14 US Senator Lindsey Graham arrived in Kiev, the American Embassy in Ukraine reported.
11:59 The Legion of Freedom of Russia, the RDK and the Siberian Battalion claim that during the period of fighting from March 12 to 18 in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the Russian Federation lost 613 military personnel killed and 829 wounded. Another 27 Russians were captured. More than 130 pieces of equipment were also allegedly destroyed.
11:37 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis does not believe that the EU will agree to send military personnel to Ukraine. According to him, EU countries are unable to reach agreement even on less important topics.
10:50 The Wall Street Journal writes that the Czech Republic has already ordered 800 thousand artillery shells for Ukraine from various suppliers around the world and has identified countries that can provide another 700 thousand if additional funding is available. At present, the first tranche of 300 thousand shells has already been provided, with Germany making the largest contribution.
Prague does not name the countries where it purchases shells, but the publication claims that they come, among other things, from Russia’s allies. Trade agreements assume that supplies will be carried out through the Czech Republic or third countries, in order to hide any direct connection between the countries of origin and Ukraine.
10:35 China is considering the possibility of participating in the first inaugural Peace Summit, which is to be held in Switzerland in the spring, said Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Wang Shikhtin. "China stands for promoting peace negotiations... And we have also presented a strategy for the political end of the conflict: the territorial sovereignty of all countries must be respected and the UN Charter must be respected. All parties must work to end the war. We must prevent the crisis from worsening or even escalating control," the ambassador emphasized. At the same time, he added that sanctions against the Russian Federation “cannot end the conflict, but only create new problems.”
10:29 In the morning, the Russians fired at the village. Novoosinovo, Kupyansky district, Kharkov region, one person was wounded, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. He also clarified that the attack on the fire station, as a result of which a rescuer was injured, was carried out in the village. White Well, Chuguevsky district.
09:54 In Romania, they began to build the largest NATO base in Europe, designed for 10 thousand military personnel, writes Euronews. Experts note that this is due to the war in Ukraine, which may last for many more years. The facility is being built on an area of almost 3,000 hectares in the Constanta district, on the basis of a pre-existing NATO air base. The project cost is 2.5 billion euros.
09:08 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 18:
personnel - about 431,550 (+810) people,
tanks - 6809 (+19),
armored combat vehicles - 13,014 (+17),
artillery systems - 10,668 (+34),
MLRS - 1017 (+0),
air defense systems - 720 (+0),
aircraft - 347 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 8308 (+36),
cruise missiles - 1922 (+0),
ships/boats - 26 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,141 (+68),
special equipment - 1731 (+8).
08:57 Over the past 24 hours, 72 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 36 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the areas of Krasnogorovka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka and Pobeda in the Donetsk region. Another 13 attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Orlovka, Alexandropol and Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled two enemy attacks in the Sinkovka area of the Kharkov region; on Limansky - three attacks in the Razdolovka area of the Donetsk region; in Bakhmutsky - eight attacks in the Ivanovsky and Kleshcheevka districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - seven attacks in the Rabotino district and north-west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - three attacks.
08:36 Ukraine will not extend the agreement with Russia on gas transit after December 31, 2024, said Energy Minister German Galushchenko. According to him, last year Ukraine conducted a stress test of the gas transportation system and underground gas storage facilities, which proved the system’s ability to operate without transit.
08:09 In the Alexandria district of the Kirovograd region, as a result of a night attack, private industrial facilities and residential buildings around were damaged, no people were injured, said the head of the OVA Andrei Raikovich.
07:48 Air defense at night destroyed 17 of the 22 Shahed attack UAVs that Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the Air Force reported. Drones were destroyed within the Kyiv, Poltava, Khmelnitsky, Cherkassy, Kirovograd, Dnepropetrovsk, Vinnitsa, Zaporozhye, Rivne regions. In addition, at night the enemy attacked with five S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles in the Kharkov region and two X-59 guided aircraft missiles in the Sumy region.
07:41 On the afternoon of March 17, the Russians fired two ballistic missiles, presumably Iskander-M, at an infrastructure facility in Nikolaev. As a result of the attack, one person was killed and nine were injured, including two children, said the head of the OBA, Vitaly Kim. Private and apartment buildings were damaged, areas of external lighting, part of the tram tracks and the contact network were destroyed.
06:37 At night, the enemy launched missile attacks on a border settlement in the Kharkov region, the State Emergency Service reported. As a result of the impact, the fire department building and four fire-rescue vehicles were damaged, and one rescuer was injured.
Article Linked To Is Available Only Via VPN.
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on enemy units near Sinkovka (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 60 Ukrainian troops, four motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicle.
In Belgorod direction, Russian units inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 105th, 120th Territorial Defence brigades, and struck militants of the Ukrainian Russian Volunteer Corps (RVS) terrorist formations near Popovka, Lukashovka, Velikaya Pisaryovka (Sumy region) and Staritsa (Kharkov region).
Moreover, Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance units attempts to infiltrate the State border of the Russian federation from the side of Ukraine were foiled near Kozinka (Belgorod region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 150 Ukrainian troops and militants killed and wounded, two tanks, three motor vehicles, and one Czech-made Vampire MLRS combat vehicle.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on units of the AFU 80th, 93rd Mechanised brigades, 81st Airmobile Brigade, 79th Air Assault Brigade, and 241st Territorial Defence Brigade near Maksimilyanovka, Kleshcheyevka, and Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
One attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 46th Airmobile Brigade was repelled near Krasnogorovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 380 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, and four motor vehicles.
In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 59th Motorised Rifle Brigade, 31st, 47th, and 53rd Mechanised brigades near Netaylovo, Umanskoye, Ocheretino, and Novobakhmutovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Seven attacks and counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 24th, 47th Mechanised brigades, and 78th Air Assault Brigade were repelled near Kirovo, Orlovka, Berdichi, Semenovka, and Tonenkoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 295 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, three armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, and one UK-made FH-70 howitzer.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines, inflicted losses on units of the AFU 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Shakhterskoye, and repelled one attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 58th Motorised Rifle Brigade near Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 130 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured personnel carriers, and four motor vehicles.
In Kherson direction, as a result of actions of the Dnepr Group of Forces' units, losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of the AFU 128th Mountain Assault Brigade and 28th Mechanised Brigade near Stepnogorsk and Sherbaki (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 55 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, and two 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems.
Operational-Tactical and Army Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces delivered strikes at the location of a meeting of the commanders of the Ukrainian Security Service and Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 137 areas during the day.
Air defence units shot down one Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter, 143 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, 22 122mm Grad and Vampire MLRS projectiles, three 220mm Uragan MLRS projectiles, and one HIMARS MLRS projectile.
In total, 577 airplanes and 270 helicopters, 15,992 unmanned aerial vehicles, 486 air defence missile systems, 15,521 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,243 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,440 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 19,910 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:45 Belgorod and Kursk - RDK offensive, interim results -map.
1. For five days now, the Ukrainian side has been carrying out its acts of terror on the territory of the Belgorod region.
In the Belgorod direction, the enemy’s goal, judging by his actions, is to enter and gain a foothold in border settlements, but these are also actions and attempts to discredit the authorities and the army of the Russian Federation.
At the moment, the enemy has no clear successes. Suffering heavy losses among personnel every day, as well as losses of equipment, the enemy never managed to gain a foothold on any section of the front that he imposed. Having major miscalculations in his actions, the opponent once again showed that he is capable of feats only in the media space, because This operation has been developed by the enemy for quite a long time. But at the same time, having enough time, the enemy still failed to implement his plans.
Yesterday, the much-hyped Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk was shot down.
Daily artillery attack of border villages and cities brought a lot of grief and losses to the civilian population, but did not help the Ukrainian Armed Forces tactically and strategically. Once again, we have only become convinced that the Northern Military District is a necessity to destroy the looming danger for the entire Russian people.
Yesterday the enemy shelled Belgorod with cluster munitions throughout the day.
2. In the Kursk direction, the enemy’s goal is to enter the village of Tyotkino and completely capture it.
But they did not expect such a rebuff in a shooting battle; having suffered losses, they retreated and worked exclusively with artillery for the third day.
The nature of their actions was immediately clear, namely, after artillery preparation they were trying to enter in small groups of seven to ten people in order to minimize losses, while finishing up with FPV calculations.
Today the enemy has been artillery attack the village throughout the day. Tyotkino with artillery of various calibers, there were wounded among civilians.
20:30 Russian Army comes and the defense line of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Avdievka is shifting to the west.
In early March, Bild military expert Julian Röpke reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were having difficulty holding their defense on the Berdychi-Semyonovka-Orlovka-Tonenkoye line west of Avdievka. Now the forces of the 47th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to fight back in Berdychi.
The situation in Orlovka and Tonenkoe is critical for Ukraine.
Some sources claim that these two villages have already been taken by the Russian army. Now the Ukrainian line of defense is shifting from there to the west to the village of Umanskoye (green line on the map).
“The new line of defense is shifting here, running along rivers and reservoirs. This means that they will try to build a defense here. For Ukraine, this is all extremely critical, since it does not have a second line of defense to the west. That is, she must hold this territory. But this is also critical for Russia,” writes Röpke.
19:53 Telegram channel “Fisherman":
Offensive west of Donetsk: counterattack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Krasnogorovka.
To the west of Donetsk, heavy fighting is taking place in Krasnogorovka, where the Russian Armed Forces are trying to advance with armored groups and landing forces. Despite the initial advance in the south of the settlement, significant success has not yet been achieved.
By transferring the reserve, the enemy first stopped the assault groups in the area of the railway, and then partially squeezed out Russian forces from the private sector in the south of the city. The presence of the RF Armed Forces remains at the south-eastern outskirts in the area of Geological Street and the forest clearing near the railway track and warehouse.
At the same time, strikes by FABs with UMPC continue on the territory of the Krasnogorovsky refractory plant, on which the enemy relies in the defense of the city. Apparently, this is partly what prevents the Armed Forces of Ukraine from completely ousting the RF Armed Forces from a populated area.
In this situation, it is likely that the Russian Armed Forces may launch a strike towards the city from neighboring Staromikhailovka, but this is associated with obvious difficulties in the form of well-organized enemy defense in forested areas and high-rise buildings on the eastern outskirts of Krasnogorovka.
18:45 Telegram channel “Fisherman":
Avdievsk direction: Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks on the northern flank, advance of the Russian Armed Forces in Tonenkoye.
Heavy fighting continues to the north and west of Avdeevka. As we expected, the enemy undertook one or more reconnaissance in force north of Petrovskoye and northwest of Krasnogorovka, relying on Ocheretino and Novokalinovo.
Judging by the footage of attacks on the enemy's advanced groups, earlier the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to occupy part of the landings southeast of the Zarya SNT, but were unable to advance far; attempts to advance were thwarted by fire from the Russian Armed Forces.
One of the assault groups was covered by a “Solntsepek” at the time of advancement or rotation, and the landing of troops from an infantry fighting vehicle was covered by a mortar. In addition, a tank operates at night near the landing site; it has not yet been caught.
The very fact of the enemy’s attempts to advance in this sector should not come as a surprise, since pressure on the northern flank of the Russian Armed Forces units advancing to the west helps at least gain time for organizing defense in Semyonovka and to the west.
The situation in Berdychi and Orlovka is complicated, there are oncoming battles, but neither side is able to take complete control over the populated areas. Most of Orlovka is occupied by the RF Armed Forces, and Berdychi by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In the Tonenkoye area, Russian troops continue to try to advance, which is confirmed by enemy footage of kamikaze UAV attacks on armored vehicles carrying troops. Despite the fact that at least several pieces of equipment were damaged during the attack, the very fact of movement in this area makes it possible to determine the absence of enemy forces in the plantings and farms to the west of the village.
18:03 Front bird broadcasts:
It is reported that the enemy may make another attack attempt using UAVs in the near future.
Our border guards and air defense are ready and are carrying out operational measures to identify and suppress such provocations.
17:10 Front birdie broadcasts:
Air raid warning throughout Ukraine 18.03.
Simultaneously, several of our MiG-31 fighters with Kinzhal missiles took off.
The birds are already in the sky.
We are waiting for the launches.
16:30 Special military operation. Situation on March 18 –map.
13:44 Statement by the head of the press center of the Vostok group -video.
Units of the Vostok group of troops continue to carry out combat missions in the South Donetsk direction.
The group's units improved the situation along the front line, liberated the village of Mirnoye, and repelled a counterattack by formations of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade in the Vodyanoye area.
Over the course of 24 hours, more than 120 enemy military personnel, three units of automotive equipment, two unmanned aircraft control posts and two field ammunition depots were destroyed.
13:15 Statement by the head of the press center of the Center group -video.
The Center group of troops continues to carry out combat missions in the special military operation zone.
During the day, the group’s units inflicted fire on 370 identified targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including three control points, about 50 areas where manpower and equipment were concentrated, and 11 strongholds.
Bomber, attack and army aviation carried out 50 air strikes in the areas of Tonenky, Severny, Orlovka, Novobakhmutovka and Berdycha. TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems hit two enemy strongholds in the Pervomaiskoye area.
Enemy losses amounted to 380 military personnel. Two armored combat vehicles, 10 vehicles, a 120mm mortar, and two unmanned aircraft control posts were destroyed.
12:39 Front bird broadcasts:
The enemy confirms his difficult situation in the Zaporozhye direction in the Rabotino area, our progress is reported.
12:07 Front bird broadcasts:
Avdeevskoe direction. 18.03 11:40
It is reported about another successful use of our Lancet loitering ammunition against enemy armored vehicles.
As a result of the work of our UAVs, it is reported that an enemy BMP-1 and an Ukrainian Armed Forces engineering vehicle have been hit.
11:28 Ukrainian formations this morning once again fired at Belgorod from MLRS. As a result of the strike, one person was injured and several residential buildings were damaged.
In just a week, 11 people died from impacts in the region, another 82 are being treated, including nine people in serious condition.
Elimination of the consequences of artillery attack continues in the Grayvoronsky urban district. The city and surrounding settlements remain without electricity for now.
10:49 Front-line soldier reports:
Orlovka:
There are two streets left. But again, to say that it will be easy is stupid.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are constantly pushing up reserves and snapping back.
The same goes for Berdychakh and Tonenkoye.
The main thing here is to take your time. We are gradually destroying the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
10:27 Around 08.30 Moscow time suppressed an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack on targets on the territory of the Russian Federation using the RM-70 Vampire multiple launch rocket system.
Duty air defense systems destroyed ten rockets in the air over the Belgorod region.
09:54 Criminal Kyiv regimecontinuesto fire at the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired from cannon artillery:
-- n.p. Great Lepetikha five rounds;
-- n.p. Alyosha six rounds;
-- n.p. Dnepryan five rounds;
-- n.p. Kazachi Lagery six rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Aleshki, n.p. Kardashinka, n.p. Korsunka, Golaya Pristan, firing a total of 18 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
09:31 Telegram channel «WarGonzo":
Frontline report for the morning 03/18/2024
– On the Zaporozhye front, there were oncoming battles in Rabotino and north of Verbovoy. The LBS in this area has not changed. There is an advance of the Russian Armed Forces southwest of Gulyai-Polye. As a result of assault operations by Russian troops, the village was liberated. Peaceful.
– On the Donetsk front, tactical successes of the Russian Armed Forces in the settlement. Novomikhailovka. In Pobeda and Georgievka there were oncoming battles. In Pervomaisky, the Russian Armed Forces continue to make little progress in the village. Meeting battles are also taking place on the Tonenkoye-Orlovka-Berdychi line, where Russian troops are trying to build on the success of recent advances. Our artillery and aviation are actively working. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are putting up fierce resistance.
– In Kharkov and Sumy, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to storm the approaches to the border in the area of ??the settlement. Kozinka, Belgorod region. No result. Most of the movements of enemy personnel and equipment are detected before they have time to engage in battle. However, Ukrainian troops are carrying out massive strikes with long-range weapons on the territories of the border regions of Russia. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are especially actively artillery attack Belgorod and adjacent settlements.
08:56 Telegram channel «Fisherman":
Chronicle of a special military operation: events of March 15 – 17, 2024
– Ukrainian formations carried out another massive drone raid on critical infrastructure facilities in Russia. Three drones were shot down over Domodedovo near the airport of the same name; there was no serious damage to the facility.
– In the Yaroslavl region, an air defense system was intercepted by four UAVs on approach to a local oil refinery. This is the second attack on a large enterprise recently: the previous unsuccessful raid took place on January 29.
– The enemy launched the largest number of drones at the oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban. Although 15 drones were shot down, two reached the plant's premises. The resulting fire was quickly contained.
– In the Kaluga region, the enemy also tried to attack infrastructure facilities in the Kirov region and Kaluga. Air defense systems shot down all the drones, there were no casualties or damage on the ground.
– In the border zone, the enemy continues artillery terror and artillery attack of populated areas in the Belgorod region. Over the past three days, at least five civilians have become victims, and more than two dozen were injured.
– At the same time, Ukrainian formations attacked on a section of the border near Grayvoron in the Belgorod region. During the fighting, Russian troops repelled all enemy attacks and destroyed the helicopter landing force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kozinki.
– On the same day, Ukrainian formations once again tried to enter Tetkino in the Kursk region. Having come under heavy fire from the Russian Armed Forces, the enemy was unable to reach the outskirts of the village and retreated to Ryzhevka in the Sumy region.
08:10 Official summary of Representative offices of the DPR in the JCCC:
A total of 40 facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC,
Information was received about the injury of two civilians, including one child born in 2010,
Damaged:
Five residential buildings,
One car.
Eight attacks were recorded from the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk direction,
A total of 32 attacks from the Ukrainian Armed Forces were recorded in the Gorlovka direction.
In total, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired 142 units of various ammunition.
Direct Translaiton via Google Translate. Edited. by Anastasia Odinyan
[REGNUM] Nine-year-old Zhenya from the village of Belovskoye, Belgorod Region, became a folk hero overnight. During the shelling, the boy shielded his younger sister.
When the Ukrainian Armed Forces began shelling Belovskoye, the Lagutin family was at home. Zhenya’s mother, grandmother and two brothers were in a small room, and the boy was drawing in the hall. "My little sister was sleeping on the sofa nearby."
Suddenly - a flash, an explosion, glass flew... The boy immediately rushed to the baby, grabbed her tightly and shielded her with his back from the flying fragments, Zhenya’s mother, Margarita, tells IA Regnum. After that, he ran with her in his arms into another room, barefoot, and cut his feet.
Thanks to her brother, tiny Angelina was not seriously injured. The children were immediately taken to the trauma department of a local hospital. For the most effective treatment, a traumatologist from the federal center was called there.
When asked why Zhenya rushed to Angelina, he answers in an adult way: she’s my sister, I couldn’t do otherwise!
The whole of Russia learned about the third-grader’s feat - the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, published this story in the official Telegram channel. In turn, the head of the RF Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed to reward the Belgorod schoolboy for his heroism.
Nine-year-old Zhenya goes to school, loves to play the guitar and draw. Teachers speak positively about the boy: he studies well and always helps.
“He is the oldest child in the family. Zhenya is a friendly, open boy, studying for grades four and five. “He has a lot of friends, he communicates with everyone,” the school director told reporters.
Now Zhenya and Angelina are already at home and have been discharged from the hospital. The boy’s legs have healed and almost don’t hurt.
The head of the local Ministry of Health, Andrei Ikonnikov, said that the children promptly received the necessary medical care, after which they were sent home.
“The brother covered his sister with his body. Because of this, he was injured more than she was. They were both hospitalized, they underwent a full range of examinations, and currently their condition is close to satisfactory, which allowed them to be discharged for outpatient treatment under the supervision of doctors,” Ikonnikov said.
Margarita and Andrei Lagutin have a large family: four children. Nine-year-old Zhenya is the eldest; he has two younger brothers and a sister, Angelina. The family lives in the village of Belovskoye, Belgorod region.
“We used to have an arrival on the next street,” Margarita recalls. “But there was no such blast wave.” And this is just a nightmare, it hit with such force...”
The small but cozy two-room house was badly damaged by shelling. The blast wave tore out the windows along with their frames, damaged the casing, crumpled the floor, even the boiler flew off.
The Lagutins' house will be restored. In the meantime, grandmother Elena Artemenko sheltered a large family in her village of Shishino. It rumbles here too, but not as scary as in Belovsky, says Margarita.
“It’s banging again,” the woman shudders, “hard.”
The whole family runs into the corridor - the only suitable shelter.
“Okay, Zhenya, everyone: let’s go into the corridor,” the woman commands.
According to her, the whole family is already accustomed to “constantly banging.”
“When there’s a loud roar, adults understand what’s happening and don’t get too scared. But a three-year-old child begins to shake and starts screaming. He’s very scared,” adds Margarita.
She does not hide the fact that she dreams of a quiet life, when you don’t have to worry about a shell falling into your house, and your children risk not returning from school.
Margarita herself is now on maternity leave. The father of the family, Andrei, works a lot. And nine-year-old Zhenya helps his grandfather build a garage: he brings tools, carries bricks. Following the example of his grandfather, a former tanker who served in the GDR, he dreams of going to a cadet school and becoming a military man.
The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, promised to do everything possible to support the Lagutin family - “for which the whole region, our whole big country is worried.”
[Regnum] Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov on March 18 commented on US statements about the alleged dishonesty of the presidential elections in the country and emphasized that the Kremlin categorically disagrees with such an assessment due to Western bias.
“Speaking to reporters late yesterday, Putin said that such assessments are quite expected and predictable, given that the United States is de facto a country deeply involved in the war in Ukraine, and this is a country that, in fact, is de facto at war with us,” said the Kremlin spokesman.
The fact that the United States does not recognize the legitimacy and results of the Russian presidential elections was stated by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, according to whom the American authorities could allegedly “take action” against observers at the presidential elections in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, in Crimea and Sevastopol.
As Regnum reported, Ambassador-at-Large and Deputy Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Commission on Elections Gennady Askaldovich said a day earlier that interference in the Russian presidential elections is coming from all unfriendly countries, among the leaders are primarily the United States, as well as Germany.
Voting in the presidential elections in Russia took place from March 15 to 17, four candidates registered by the Central Election Commission ran for the post: Leonid Slutsky (LDPR), Nikolai Kharitonov (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), Vladislav Davankov (“New People”), who received 99.72% of the protocols after processing 3.21%, 4.3% and 3.83%, respectively, and self-nominated Vladimir Putin, winning with a record result for all presidential elections in Russia of 87.29% of the votes.
As stated by the head of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, the turnout in the presidential elections in 2024 was 77.44% and became a record in the modern history of the country. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that more than 372 thousand people took part in the voting abroad, which, according to her, is unprecedented. In the Armed Forces, the turnout in the elections was 99.8%; those serving under contract and conscription, civilian army employees and participants in a special military operation took part in the voting.
Pamfilova also said that during the presidential elections no complaints or violations were recorded that required examination by the commission. Observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States also did not reveal any violations in the presidential election process; the elections, according to them, were held in accordance with the constitution, electoral legislation, openly and competitively. The Central Election Commission will officially sum up the results of the presidential election on March 21.
[Regnum] Russia did not steal anything from Western countries and did not give away anything of its own. Thus, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova responded to accusations of “stolen” elections by the head of the British Ministry of Defense Grant Shapps.
The diplomat recalled Shapps’ remark, according to whom Vladimir Putin allegedly “stole the elections again,” but will not be able to steal Ukraine. The British minister also assured that London’s support for Kyiv will continue.
Zakharova, in response to criticism, suggested that Shapps find Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales.
“We didn’t steal anything from them. We didn't give ours to them. So they get angry. We are accustomed to taking everything away from everyone by the right of “exclusivity.” By the way, what's going on with Kate Middleton? Found it? Look, Shapps,” Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel.
As Regnum reported, in January, Kensington Palace informed the Princess of Wales that she had undergone planned abdominal surgery. After this, official events with her participation were postponed.
In March, a number of news outlets published a photo provided by Kensington Palace showing the princess sitting on a chair surrounded by her three children. The photo was later retracted by the media due to “possible digital manipulation.” The incident with the retouched photo fueled theories about where the wife of the heir to the British throne actually is. Kensington Palace declined to comment.
Kate Middleton was forced to apologize on March 10 for publishing a retouched family photo. She thanked everyone for their support and warm wishes.
On the night of March 18, the Central Election Commission of Russia published preliminary voting results for the presidential elections in the Russian Federation after processing 96.02% of the protocols. According to the Central Election Commission, Vladimir Putin received 87.34% of the votes, Nikolai Kharitonov (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) - 4.29%, Vladislav Davankov (New People) - 3.83%, Leonid Slutsky (LDPR) - 3.15% of the votes.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] During the presidential elections in Russia, hackers carried out almost 500 cyber attacks on the country's information and telecommunications infrastructure. This was reported on March 18 by Roskomnadzor.
“During the last elections <...> 497 DDoS attacks were carried out, requiring countermeasures to be taken by the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communications Network of Roskomnadzor,” the department’s press service clarified to TASS.
At the same time, the RNC stated that the attacks were carried out simultaneously on all resources of the election infrastructure. The maximum power of the largest attack was 87 Gb/s. The longest cyber attack lasted 40 hours and 12 minutes.
As Regnum reported, the Russian presidential elections were held for the first time in a three-day format from March 15 to 17.
According to the head of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova, since the beginning of voting, 160 thousand attacks on DEG resources have been blocked, the main attacks have been on the voting portal itself - 130 thousand attacks - and the monitoring portal for DEG - almost 30 thousand attacks.
Experts unanimously recognized that the provocations and cyber attacks that were recorded in the first two days of voting came from Ukraine, from IP addresses in Western Europe and North America.
The head of the department for control and supervision in the field of electronic communications of Roskomnadzor, Evgeny Zaitsev, said on March 17 that DDoS attacks did not have an impact on the voting process in the presidential elections in Russia. He also added that experts blocked more than 1 thousand resources with calls to disrupt the elections, the department noted.
The police received 1.4 thousand reports of offenses during the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. Law enforcement officers opened 61 criminal cases for election-related violations, 23 of them for knowingly false reports of terrorist attacks. Also, the Ministry of Internal Affairs throughout the country recorded 52 cases of carrying dyes to polling stations, and opened 33 criminal cases.
The turnout at the elections was a record high and amounted to 77.44%. Based on the results of processing 100% of the protocols, Vladimir Putin won with a result of 87.28%. At the same time, according to the Central Election Commission, Putin received an overwhelming number of votes among those eligible to vote in the elections - about 76 million Russians voted for him.
As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted, Putin’s final results are unique and reflect the highest level of support for the candidate by the country’s population.
The past elections were also marked by a high turnout among Russians abroad. According to data from 199 polling stations on the morning of March 18, more than 372 thousand people voted. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called these figures unprecedented.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] For now, Russia is offered to conduct dialogue only on US terms, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on March 18.
“For now, Russia is invited to conduct a dialogue exclusively on the US terms and only on those issues that are of interest to Washington,” the department told RIA Novosti.
Diplomats called US proposals to begin an arms control discussion with Russia an exercise in hypocrisy and demagoguery. They added that Russia’s position remains unchanged; Moscow is ready to discuss issues of security and stability only in a single complex.
As the ministry noted, Russia, in response to the West’s refusal of dialogue and the strengthening of the network of military bases near the Russian borders, will continue to create a fist of fire and successfully carry out the tasks of a special military operation in Ukraine.
Earlier, on March 18, the American permanent representative to the UN said that the United States wishes to enter into bilateral discussions on arms control with Russia and China without preconditions.
During one of the online conferences in December 2023, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said that the difficulty in relations between Moscow and Washington was the lack of dialogue. The politician drew attention to the fact that the biggest problem is that the United States has no dialogue with Russia at all.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in November 2023 that relations with American partners are in a deplorable state. He stressed that in such a situation there should be no dialogue on arms control.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Resolution of the conflict in Ukraine in the current 2024 is unlikely, said the head of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, on CNN Türk on March 18.
“We see that in Europe a number of politicians are gradually beginning to recognize the risks. Europe should worry more than us. But as for 2024, to be honest, we do not see the basis for a solution,” the Turkish diplomat said.
At the same time, Hakan Fidan noted that he sees some hopes for resolving the conflict in 2025, but everything depends on the circumstances that develop at that time. The head of the foreign policy department also called the recent statements by European politicians in favor of escalation dangerous. The diplomat drew attention to the fact that Turkey is extremely concerned about the growing risk of escalation, as Ankara fears the possible spread of the conflict to the region.
As Regnum reported, the Russian side has repeatedly stated its readiness to negotiate a settlement to the Ukrainian crisis. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with journalist Dmitry Kiselev, emphasized that Moscow remains ready for negotiations on Ukraine, but they must be based on current realities.
On March 12, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a meeting with foreign ambassadors, said that plans for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine can only be implemented with the participation of Russia. According to him, any initiatives that do not include the interests of the Russian side will not bring results.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] NATO is helping to cause damage to the Russian navy in the Black Sea, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on March 18 after a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi.
The head of the bloc said that the situation in the Black Sea is important for both Georgia and NATO. According to him, they allegedly succeeded in restricting Russia’s navigation.
“With our support, the large Russian fleet in the Black Sea is being damaged,” Stoltenberg said.
As Regnum reported, the NATO Secretary General said on March 14 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, when attacking ships of the Black Sea Fleet over the past two years, used SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, which were supplied to Kiev by the alliance countries. He also called for increasing the supply of missiles to Ukraine.
On March 17, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, while at the command post of the Black Sea Fleet, ordered training to repel air strikes, as well as attacks by naval drones. He emphasized that this should be carried out including at night.
The head of the Ministry of Defense also ordered the installation of additional large-caliber machine-gun rifle systems on ships in order to destroy approaching drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The head of the Georgian government, Irakli Kobakhidze, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed the issue of integrating the republic into the alliance at a meeting in Tbilisi on March 18. The Prime Minister stated this at a joint press conference with the head of the organization.
“I am glad that today we once again discussed issues of cooperation between NATO and Georgia, as well as the process of our integration,” Kobakhidze said.
He also expressed gratitude to NATO and personally to the Secretary General for “supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia” and said that the alliance plays an important role in developing its defense capabilities.
According to Kobakhidze, Georgia is one of NATO’s most reliable and loyal partners.
Georgia has been a member of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council since 1992. Twelve years later, in 2004, Georgia agreed with NATO on an Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP). Two years later, the Georgian parliament voted for the country’s integration into NATO, but the republic was not accepted into the alliance.
In August 2008, after the army of the republic attacked South Ossetia, Russia carried out an operation to force Georgia to peace. Moscow recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. There are Russian military personnel on the territory of the republics that Tbilisi still considers its territory, and Georgia’s entry into NATO would mean a military conflict with Russia for the alliance.
The Georgian authorities are also striving to achieve European integration of the republic. Officially, the country submitted an application to join the European Union in March 2022. At the end of last year, the republic received candidate status. As noted by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, the EU is thereby trying to annoy Russia.
#1
There is a saying "an elephant never forgets." There isn't, to the best of my knowledge, a saying "a bear never forgets, or forgives" - but, if you'd read some Russian history ...
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
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![](images/putinblofeld.jpg" title="Vladimir Putin" valign=top style=)
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
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