Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] A resident of Kazan was sentenced to life imprisonment for 31 murders of elderly women. This became known on March 21.
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan sentenced Radik Tagirov. According to the investigation, in the period from March 2011 to October 2012, he committed murders and attempted murders related to robbery, as well as direct assaults on 34 elderly women.
“Finally impose a sentence based on the totality of sentences in the form of life imprisonment. Tagirov should be sentenced to serve the first 10 years in prison and the remainder of his sentence in a special regime correctional colony,” the judge announced the decision.
The convict committed crimes in 15 cities, including Moscow, Kazan and Yekaterinburg. The man posed as a utility worker and entered apartments, where he then attacked pensioners, beat, strangled and stole money. Investigators checked more than 10 thousand people for involvement in crimes and conducted more than five thousand examinations. After his arrest, Tagirov confessed to his crime, but later changed his position and declared self-incrimination.
As Regnum reported, the corpse of a pensioner with a severed head was found in a private house in the Nizhny Novgorod region. According to investigators, the woman could have been killed because of old coins and antiques. In addition to her severed head, she was found with her hands tied and signs of beatings on her body. The attackers probably planned to find out where the pensioner kept her valuables. At the same time, the actual value of the antique items she had was not established.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:03 This year the Netherlands will allocate additional funding of 2 billion euros for military support to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. He clarified that this amount includes 250 million euros for the Czech initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine. “And this is not our last contribution. We are also working hard to ensure that 24 Dutch F-16 aircraft are in the skies over Ukraine as soon as possible,” Rutte added.
21:47 For the first time in a month, Russia put two underwater missile carriers on alert duty in the Black Sea. The total salvo of Caliber is up to eight missiles, the level of missile danger is very high, the Southern Defense Forces warn.
21:44 The missiles that Russia used against Kiev today contained at least 1,500 components imported from “normal states,” Zelensky said in an evening video message and emphasized the need to tighten sanctions.
"Each Russian missile contains components produced by companies from other countries - not Russia. The design of the Kh-101 missiles has at least 53 types of such components. The Kinzhal missile has at least 49 types of components that Russia does not produce. A significant part of them are ", which is made by companies of the free world and is brought into Russia through various gray schemes. Blocking such schemes and everyone who supports them is mandatory. More sanctions are needed. More responsibility is needed for sanctions circumvention schemes," the president noted.
21:39 The Russians dropped an aerial bomb on a private sector in Novogrodovka, Donetsk region - two people were killed, two were injured, the prosecutor's office reported. At least 20 private and apartment buildings were damaged or completely destroyed.
21:36 Ukraine faces “difficult decisions” about withdrawing from a number of territories to “strengthen its defenses” due to the delay in new US assistance, said Pentagon Deputy Speaker Sabrina Singh.
21:28 GUR representative Andrey Yusov called the railway to Crimea, which Russia is building, a “significant goal” for Ukraine: “This is a serious challenge, a serious threat. Accordingly, this is a significant goal for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. There are plans, but they do not always correspond to reality "It's the same in the Russian case."
20:19 The Russians accidentally sank their own trawler Captain Lobanov - during Baltic Fleet exercises in the Kaliningrad region, it was hit by a Russian Navy missile, Dozhd reports citing a relative of a crew member. According to him, on March 19, three crew members were killed and four were injured as a result of a missile hitting the ship.
20:12 After a pause of 44 days, the Russian army again launched a massive attack on Kiev. A feature of today's strike was the complex trajectory of the missiles. So, after maneuvers in neighboring regions, they simultaneously approached the capital from different directions. For more details, see the material Russia is playing tricks with the trajectory.
19:45 Zelensky said that he met with the head of the NATO Military Committee Robert Bauer - they discussed the priority defense needs of Ukraine and the need for additional air defense systems.
19:36 Democrats in both houses of the US Congress are ready to support the provision of aid to Ukraine in the form of a loan in order to break the impasse, writes The Hill. "The Democrats support aid to Ukraine. Call it a loan or whatever you want, but give them the resources. You have to give them aid. If it's a loan, it's aid; if it's a bailout package with no demands, it's still aid." - said Benny Thompson, a member of the Committee on Homeland Security.
At the same time, as the publication notes, few congressmen believe that Ukraine will be able to repay these loans, but such a scheme will allow Republicans to tell their voters that they are trying to ease the financial burden for American taxpayers.
19:27 After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about 400 Russian spies were expelled from European embassies. But even after such a rapid collapse of its intelligence network, Moscow did not give up and began recruiting European politicians and civil activists with renewed vigor. With parliamentary elections scheduled for June in Europe, this is causing increasing concern in the EU. Read more in the material Network of Agents of the Russian Federation.
19:02 The Czech Republic transferred the last two Mi-24 helicopters to Ukraine as military assistance. The country has no more such aircraft left, said Defense Minister Yana Chernokhova. Prague transferred the Mi-24 to Ukraine for the first time in July 2022, the second time in 2023.
18:34 The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that the country's enterprises producing aviation weapons have already doubled the production of FAB-1500 bombs and have begun mass production of FAB-3000. About the danger the FAB-300 poses, see the article Second After Nuclear.
18:21 The United States proposed that its G7 allies create a mechanism for using frozen Russian assets, and use the funds received to support Ukraine, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. We are talking about creating a special fund to issue bonds worth at least $50 billion, secured by income from assets. Discussions are at an early stage, and some G7 countries, including Germany and France, have expressed caution about the idea.
16:13 Slovakia and Hungary will not join the Czech initiative to purchase shells for Ukraine, the foreign ministers of the countries said.
18:02 Hungary wants to openly cooperate with Russia in sectors that are not subject to sanctions, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said. He added that some countries already do this, but covertly. According to the diplomat, the volume of Russian gas supplies to Europe has increased.
17:58 As a result of today's ballistic missile attack on Nikolaev, an industrial enterprise was damaged, the fire was promptly extinguished. One person was killed and six plant workers were injured, the Southern Defense Forces said.
17:56 The Russian Army shelled Novogrodovka, Donetsk region - at least one person was killed and two were injured, the search and rescue operation continues, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.
17:50 Today, throughout the day, the Russians fired drones and artillery at populated areas of the Kherson region, in particular the city of Berislav, the villages of Kazatskoe, Sadovoe and Veletenskoe. The strikes killed one person and injured four others, prosecutors said. Law enforcement also identified a resident of Kachkarovka who died as a result of explosives being dropped from a drone on March 20.
17:33 Almost all the cruise and ballistic missiles that Russia fired at Kiev today were aimed at power steering facilities, Ukrainskaya Pravda reports, citing an intelligence source. The interlocutor confirmed that they were all shot down.
16:51 The head of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer, during a visit to Kiev, stated the need for mobilization: “You need not only grenades, you need people to replace the dead and wounded. And this means mobilization.”
16:45 The defense forces managed to stabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine, Syrsky said in a telephone conversation with the Chief of the Joint Staff of the French Armed Forces, Thierry Burcard.
16:34 The number of victims as a result of the strike on Nikolaev has increased to six, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim.
16:09 Borrell said that European politicians should not frighten their citizens with the inevitability of war. According to the diplomat, instead of talking about sending troops to Ukraine, one should focus on helping Kyiv. “This is not about dying for Donbass, this is about helping the Ukrainians,” Borrell said.
16:00 Shoigu said that mass production of three-ton FAB-3000 aerial bombs has begun in Russia.
15:28 Syrsky said that he held a meeting with the NATO delegation led by the head of the Alliance Military Committee Rob Bauer. We discussed the situation on the battlefield and the main needs of the Defense Forces, among which key priorities are ammunition and air defense.
15:25 Poland will not only contribute to the Czech initiative to purchase shells for Ukraine, but will also help deliver them, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said: “We are very pleased to contribute not only financially, but also in a very efficient logistics operation so that ammunition can be delivered to where it is needed at the front."
15:22 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. We discussed the continuation of defense cooperation, in particular the strengthening of Ukrainian air defense, and agreed to speed up work on a bilateral security agreement.
15:17 As a result of the strike on Nikolaev, one person was killed and four were injured, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim. According to him, the search is still ongoing.
14:55 Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer opposed using proceeds from frozen Russian assets to finance weapons for Ukraine, but supported the idea of using these funds for reconstruction. In turn, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supported the use of funds to arm Ukraine. According to him, this money “does not belong to anyone.”
14:41 The mayor of Nikolaev, Alexander Senkevich, announced a ballistic missile attack on the city.
14:28 During his visit to Kiev, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine worth 20 million euros. It will include, in particular, artillery ammunition, anti-tank guns, explosives, gas masks, sniper equipment, and smaller caliber ammunition.
14:10 The Russians fired at the critical infrastructure of the left bank of the Kherson region, as a result of which the residents of Kakhovka were left without electricity, water and gas, said First Deputy Head of the Regional Council Yuriy Sobolevsky.
13:59 As a result of a night missile attack on Kiev, the Rozetka warehouse was damaged, said Vladislav Chechetkin, co-founder of the marketplace. In addition to the warehouse, trucks and goods were damaged. When the strike occurred, there were 99 people on shift in the warehouse; they went down to the bomb shelter in time.
13:52 During the international charity fundraiser for the purchase of Sych strike and reconnaissance drones for the Main Intelligence Directorate units of the Ministry of Defense, Russian citizens turned out to be the most active, intelligence reported. Thus, over four days, almost 3,000 people joined the volunteer campaign, of which 1,538 were Russians, including 200 Muscovites, who scanned the QR code from the screens of their TVs and gadgets. At the same time, the peak of donations from Russian citizens coincided with the presidential elections.
13:15 Soldiers of the Legion of Freedom of Russia claim that as a result of their raid, the Russian army lost more than 1,500 thousand people, of which 651 were irretrievable losses, 980 were sanitary. Russian volunteers also managed to destroy and damage 171 pieces of military equipment.
12:47 The head of Grayvoron, Belgorod region, Gennady Bondarev, called on residents to leave temporarily due to constant shelling. According to him, the Yaroslavl region is ready to accept them.
12:28 Representatives of the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Russian Freedom Legion and the Siberian Battalion stated at a joint press conference in Kiev that the ultimate goal of their operations is to eliminate the Putin regime, and the primary task is to help Ukrainian troops.
Representative of the Russian Freedom Legion Alexey Baranovsky also said that volunteers, by their actions on the territory of the Russian Federation, thwarted a new Russian offensive: “In a military sense, they were forced to transfer significant forces from near Kupyansk to hold the Belgorod and Kursk regions. In fact, we thwarted the offensive plans of the Russian army. We diverted tactical aviation, it carried out more than 320 airstrikes, all the bombs landed on Russian territory. Thanks to our operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to stabilize the front and cover areas where a massive Russian attack was expected."
In addition, Baranovsky said that today the fighters took revenge for the missile attack on Kyiv: as a result of the morning attack on a military facility in Belgorod, nine military personnel and five more members of the so-called “volunteer formations” were eliminated.
12:16 For the first time since the start of a full-scale war, the highest military leader of NATO, the head of the Alliance Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, arrived in Kiev. He has already spoken at the Kiev Security Forum. “Every day we are becoming closer and more compatible. Together we are doing everything to ensure that Ukraine becomes a member of our Alliance. The Swedish flag will not be the only blue and yellow flag at NATO headquarters,” Bauer emphasized.
11:50 The Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill to ensure the rights of military personnel and police officers to social protection, said People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak. He noted that by the second reading the committee had significantly improved the document. In particular, the possibility of military personnel staying for treatment for up to 12 months, including abroad, without the need to personally undergo a military medical examination after four months, was supported. The law also establishes a monetary payment of 15 million hryvnia to the family of the defender in the event of his death. In addition, all provisions prohibiting the military from disseminating information in the media and on the Internet were removed from the bill.
11:29 EU leaders at today's summit will discuss a plan to use profits from frozen Russian assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine, but are unlikely to make a final decision, writes Reuters. This initiative is not supported by Hungary, Malta, Austria and Ireland. At the same time, it is expected that following the meeting, the leaders can determine a further course of action on this proposal.
11:08 The lower house of the Czech Parliament adopted a resolution declaring Russia the main threat to the country’s security: “The current terrorist regime in Russia, with its expansionism and attempts to extend its sphere of influence to Ukraine and other European countries, accompanied by war crimes, poses the greatest threat to the security of the Czech Republic ".
10:53 Zelensky said that Russia does not have missiles that could bypass the protection of the Patriot air defense system and other leading world systems. “World unity is able to stop terror when it helps us with air defense systems. Now this protection is needed here in Ukraine. From Kiev to Kharkov, from Sumy to Kherson, from Odessa to Donetsk region. This is quite possible if the partners have enough political will,” - the president emphasized, commenting on the night attack on Kyiv.
10:48 The EBRD intends to invest up to 10 billion euros in Ukraine over the next five years, the bank’s management said.
10:35 In the Kiev region, during a night attack, four people were injured as a result of falling debris, the OVA reported. Destruction and fires were recorded in four districts of the region in six settlements. More than 40 residential private houses, two high-rise buildings, a lyceum building and power lines are known to have been damaged.
10:19 Australia is joining the drone coalition led by the UK and Latvia, Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
09:58 The number of victims as a result of the night attack on Kiev has increased to 13, of which four were hospitalized, the Kyiv City State Administration reported. Six educational institutions were damaged - kindergartens and schools in the Svyatoshinsky and Shevchenko districts. During the attack, about 25 thousand people took refuge at the capital’s metro stations, about 3,000 of them were children.
09:11 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 21:
personnel - about 433,840 (+750) people,
tanks - 6832 (+4),
armored combat vehicles - 13,074 (+16),
artillery systems - 10 740 (+26),
MLRS - 1018 (+1),
air defense systems - 721 (+0),
aircraft - 347 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 8365 (+10),
cruise missiles - 1922 (+0),
ships/boats - 26 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,242 (+44),
special equipment - 1741 (+3).
09:07 Over the past 24 hours, 70 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 24 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the areas of Krasnogorovka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka, Vodyanoye, Urozhaynoye of the Donetsk region. Another 17 attacks were repelled in the Limansky direction (in the areas of Belogorivka, Zolotarevka of the Lugansk region and Yampolevka, Ternov, Razdolovka, Vesyoly of the Donetsk region) and 14 - in the Avdeevsky direction (in the areas of Berdychi, Semenovka, Tonenky, Pervomaisky, Netaylovo, Nevelsky of the Donetsk region).
The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces repelled five enemy attacks in the Bogdanovka, Ivanovsky, and Kleshcheevka areas of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - seven attacks in the districts of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - three attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops on the left bank of the Dnieper.
08:50 Russian public pages write about the shelling of Belgorod, as a result of which five people were injured in the morning. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems allegedly destroyed ten RM-70 Vampire MLRS rockets in the air over the Belgorod region.
08:39 In Kharkov, as a result of yesterday’s missile attack on a manufacturing plant, five people were killed and nine were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OBA. Also in the evening, the enemy fired a missile at the town of Barvenkovo, Izyumsky district - an administrative building, equipment and a high-voltage wire line were damaged, one person was injured.
08:27 As a result of a missile attack on Kiev, 12 people were injured, KGVA reports. In the Podolsk region, a fire broke out at a transformer substation covering an area of 200 square meters. m, it has already been liquidated. There was also a fire on the roof of a non-residential two-story building. In the Shevchenko district, a multi-storey residential building was damaged - windows were broken by the blast wave, a fire broke out in the apartment, residents were evacuated. Cars and a private residential building were also on fire. In the Svyatoshinsky district, a multi-storey residential building was damaged.
07:46 Air defense at night destroyed all 29 cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles with which Russia attacked Kiev, said Air Force Commander Nikolai Oleshchuk. In particular, the enemy used two Iskander-M (KN-23)/Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic/aeroballistic missiles, as well as 29 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles from 11 Tu-95MS strategic bombers (launch areas - Volgodonsk, Engels ). The missiles came from the north, the main direction of attack was Kyiv. All enemy missiles were shot down in the Kyiv region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] During the day, 67 military clashes occurred.
During the day, defense forces repulsed 24 attacks by Russian invaders in the Novopavlovsk direction.
During the day, the Defense Forces repelled 24 Russian attacks in the Novopavlovsk direction and 14 in the Bakhmut direction. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced this in an evening report on Thursday, March 21.
During the day, 67 military clashes were recorded at the front. In general, Russian troops carried out 36 missile and 50 air strikes, and carried out 96 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy, with the support of aviation, carried out one unsuccessful assault on the positions of the Defense Forces in the area of the settlement of Sinkovka, Kharkov region.
In the Liman direction, our soldiers repulsed 10 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka in the Lugansk region and Terny, Spornoe, Veseloe, Razdolevka in the Donetsk region and where the invaders, with the support of aviation, tried to break through the defenses.
In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters repelled 14 enemy attacks in the areas of Bogdanovka, Ivanovskoye, Kleshchievka, Andreevka settlements in the Donetsk region. In the Avdeevsky direction, the defenders repelled four attacks by the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Berdich, Semenovka, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Donetsk region.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the Defense Forces continue to restrain the Russian invaders in the areas of the settlements of Krasnogorovka, Novomikhailovka, Vodyanoye, Urozhainoye, where the enemy, with the support of aviation, tried to break through the defense 24 times.
In the Orekhovsky direction, the enemy, with the support of aviation, attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders six times in the areas of the settlements of Staromayorskoye, Donetsk region, and Robotino, Zaporozhye region.
During the day, the Russians did not conduct offensive (assault) actions in the Kherson direction. Ivanovka, Kherson region, was subjected to artillery and mortar shelling.
During the day, the Defense Forces' aviation carried out strikes on seven areas where personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated and on two enemy anti-aircraft missile systems. The missile force units hit an artillery weapon and two Russian air defense systems.
Let us remind you that over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces liquidated 750 occupiers. Since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the Russian army has lost 433,840 soldiers.
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[EngMilRu] Last night, the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a strike by long-range precision weaponry including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at AFU decision-making centres, logistic bases, temporary deployment areas of special operations forces and foreign mercenaries.
The goal of the strike has been achieved. All the targets have been engaged.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 63rd Mechanised Brigade, 57th Motorised Rifle Brigade, and 95th Air Assault Brigade near Sinkovka (Kharkov region), Terni (Donetsk People's Republic), and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, and four motor vehicles.
In the course of counter-battery warfare, two Czech-made Vampire MLRS combat vehicles, one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer were eliminated.
In Belgorod direction, Russian units continue to take measures to prevent infiltration of AFU sabotage and reconnaissance groups and eliminate these groups in border areas of Ukraine.
Strikes were delivered at the foreign mercenaries formations and 105th Territorial Defence Brigade concentration areas near Velikaya Pisaryovka, Yamnoye, Lukashovka, and Aleksandrovka (Sumy region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 30 Ukrainian militants, three pickup trucks, and one Czech-made Vampire MLRS combat vehicle.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and captured Alebastrovaya station (Donetsk People's Republic).
Strikes were delivered at formations of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade, 46th and 81st Airmobile brigades near Belogorovka, Razdolovka, Krasnoye, Novomikhailovka, and Georgiyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 250 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, and seven motor vehicles.
In the course of counter-battery warfare, two Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery systems, one 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 152mm D-20 howitzer were eliminated.
In Avdeyevka direction, cohesive actions of the Tsentr Group of Forces units allowed to liberate Tonenkoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
Strikes were delivered at formations of the AFU 47th, 59th Motorised Rifle brigades, and 3rd Assault Brigade near Pervomayskoye and Berdichi (Donetsk People's Republic).
One counterattack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 24th Mechanised Brigade was repelled near Novgorodskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 320 Ukrainian troops, one tank, four armoured fighting vehicles, and seven motor vehicles.
In the course of counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105mm M102 gun.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on AFU formations near Pavlovka, Urozhaynoye, and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
One counterattack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade was repelled near Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 120 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery warfare radar station.
In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces struck manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, and 35th Naval Infantry Brigade near Rabotino, Stepovoye (Zaporozhye region), and Ivanovka (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 50 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out one unmanned aerial vehicle depot, one unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing and repair workshop, as well as engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 132 areas during the day.
Air defence units shot down 163 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and 20 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS and Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles.
In total, 577 airplanes and 270 helicopters, 16,443 unmanned aerial vehicles, 487 air defence missile systems, 15,562 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,251 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,480 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 20,027 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:59 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 03/21/2024 to 00:00 03/22/2024.
A total of 39 facts of armed attacks by the UFU were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC over the past 24 hours.
Information has been received about the death of a civilian.
It is reported that our Lancet loitering ammunition destroyed the enemy 122mm BM-21 Grad. The vehicle with full ammunition was destroyed.
It is from these MLRS that APU militants deliberately shoot at civilians.
21:02 Calculations of 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" destroyed ammunition depots and enemy manpower in the Avdeevsky direction
19:37 The Russian Armed Forces liberated the village of Tonenkoye near Avdievka. How the situation will develop after this:
On March 21, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the liberation of the village of Tonenkoye, five km west of Avdievka. Now the Ukrainian army has to choose an option for further action.
After the Russian Armed Forces penetrated the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Tonenkoye and advanced to the western border of the village, the situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces along the entire defensive line in this area began to deteriorate.
After the defeat in Tonenkoye, the main forces of the Ukrainian army retreated to the west and occupied the forest belts adjacent to the village. But there is no point in talking about the creation of long-term fortifications in this area: there were none in Tonenkoye, Lastochkino and Orlovka, and Ukrainian troops will not really have time to prepare for the further advance of the Russian Armed Forces to the west.
In the Avdeevsky area, only Berdychi and Semyonovka are partially under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It is these settlements that are the centers of gravity of the current battle formation and defensive line of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. To hold these villages, Ukrainian troops are transferring a significant number of reserves.
So far, everything is happening predictably: every breakthrough of the Russian Armed Forces, the command of the Tavria operational-strategic group of troops is trying to “plug up” with reserves, even if these reserves are not the most combat-ready forces in this direction. This has already happened with Orlovka and Lastochkin, and it cannot be ruled out that an attempt at any cost to regain lost positions in Tonenkoye will also be made.
However, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have fewer and fewer available resources to carry out such an operation in the Avdeevsky direction, so if an attempt to return Tonenkoye is made in the future, then the forces for this will most likely have to be withdrawn from another direction.
The long-term retention of Tonenkoye and the desperate attempts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to fight for control over the village can be explained simply: if the defense of the Ukrainian army in this area collapses, then the Russian Armed Forces will be able to reach the road to Umanskoye (4.7 km west of Tonenkoye and Orlovka) and have every chance to continue moving further west. In this case, the flanks and partly the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces forces occupying defense in areas north and south of Tonenky are under threat.
The terrain in this area is characterized by a poorly developed road network, consisting mainly of dirt roads. There are no large settlements or industrial facilities suitable for defense.
19:29 Crew of the Buk air defense systemshoweddestruction of a Ukrainian Armed Forces helicopter in the Avdiivka direction. The air target detected by the layered air defense system was moving at an average speed at an altitude of 500-600 meters.
Russian military personnel technically escorted the Ukrainian Armed Forces helicopter for 10 kilometers. As soon as he entered the affected area of the Buk-M1 complex, they launched an anti-aircraft missile and destroyed the target.
“We have been hunting for this target for quite a long time. Both surveillance and warning means were placed. In the end, we solved the problem comprehensively and managed to hit the target,” said the commander of the Buk-M1 air defense system with the call sign “Tikhiy.”
18:35 “Winged Archangels” continue to crush the enemy in the Avdievka direction -video.
17:27 Explosions occurred in the Kyiv-controlled city of Kherson, Ukrainian Channel 24 reported.
17:12 Russian troops control the heights in Rabotino and the center of the village in the Zaporozhye direction, said Governor Yevgeny Balitsky.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces units are located in the hollow, the Russian military “stands on the heights, this suits us,” Balitsky emphasized.
16:38 In Kakhovka, a regular bus came under artillery fire; there were a driver, a conductor and six passengers in it. As a result of a shell explosion, a 78-year-old man received multiple shrapnel wounds - Kherson region authorities
16:05 On March 21, military investigators of the Russian Investigative Committee recorded artillery attack of the DPR territories.
The Petrovsky and Kirovsky districts of Donetsk came under fire. Ozeryanovka, as well as the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka. artillery attack of DPR areas was carried out using 155mm caliber artillery, including cluster warheads.
In the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, the enemy dropped an explosive object from a UAV. In addition, Ukrainian militants carried out a kamikaze UAV attack in the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka.
15:40 Ukrainian Telegram channels report a missile attack on Nikolaev.
15:27 The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched an artillery strike on a gas distribution station in the Kakhovka municipal district of the Kherson region, leaving the city of Kakhovka and four more villages without gas supply - Governor Saldo.
14:44 Advisor to the head of the DPR Igor Kimakovsky spoke about the significance of the release of Tonenky from the Armed Forces of Ukraine -video.
13:38 Ukrainian troops left their positions in the center of the village of Novomikhailovka near Ugledar, said adviser to the head of the DPR Igor Kimakovsky.
13:30 The main thing from the briefing of the Ministry of Defense:
Tonight, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched a strike with high-precision weapons, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, on the command centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, logistics bases, temporary deployment points of special forces and foreign mercenaries. The strike targets were achieved, all objects were hit.
In the Kupyansk direction, the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces amounted to up to 40 military personnel, three tanks and four vehicles, as well as two Czech-made Vampire MLRS combat vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled gun and a 122mm D-30 howitzer.
In the Belgorod direction, a blow was struck at the gathering places of foreign mercenaries and terrestrial defense; the enemy lost up to 30 militants, three pickup trucks, as well as a Czech-made Vampire RZSO combat vehicle.
In the Donetsk direction, units of the “Southern” group of troops, as a result of active operations, occupied more advantageous positions and captured the Alabastrovaya railway station in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 250 military personnel, two tanks, three armored vehicles and seven cars, as well as two Polish-made Krab self-propelled guns, an Akatsiya self-propelled gun, a 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled gun and a 152mm D-20 howitzer.
In the Avdeevsky direction, the coordinated actions of units of the “Center” group of troops liberated the settlement of Tonenkoye of the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy lost more than 320 military personnel, a tank, four armored vehicles and seven vehicles, an M777 artillery system, two howitzers: 152mm D-20 and 122mm D-30, as well as a 105mm M102 gun.
In the South Donetsk direction, enemy losses amounted to up to 120 military personnel, a tank, three armored vehicles, three cars, as well as an AN/TPQ-36 radar station.
In the Kherson direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 50 military personnel, five vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, and a 122mm D-30 howitzer.
The following areas were affected: a UAV storage warehouse, a workshop for the production and repair of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as manpower and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 132 districts.
Air defense forces shot down 163 UAVs, as well as 20 US-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire missiles.
13:20 Over the past 24 hours, 80 Ukrainian drones have been detected and suppressed over Donetsk, Makeevka, Yasinovataya and Gorlovka, the Russian FSB Directorate for the DPR reported.
12:31 Calculations of the Buk-M1 air defense system are reliable cover positions of Russian troops from air strikes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction.
11:32 The Russian Armed Forces advanced in the Avdeevsky direction. According to Come and See, Russian troops have again launched a decisive offensive.
“Russian units are advancing in the direction of Semenovka,” a source told Come and See.
According to him, currently Semenovka is the logistics hub of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, on which the enemy relies in all directions. The capture of this settlement will increase the pace of the offensive and prevent the formation of a new line of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
11:10 Statement Head of the press center of the Center group:
The Center group of troops continues to carry out combat missions in the special military operation zone.
Over the course of a day, the group’s units inflicted fire on 350 identified targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including 16 strongholds, about 60 areas where manpower and equipment were concentrated, and more than a hundred field artillery positions.
Aircraft carried out over 40 strikes in the areas of Solovyevo, Ocheretino, Keramik, and Berdychi. Heavy flamethrower systems damaged three strongholds in the area of Novobakhmutovka and Semyonovka.
Enemy losses amounted to 395 military personnel. Two infantry fighting vehicles, two armored combat vehicles, 16 vehicles, and two unmanned aircraft control posts were destroyed.
During the counterbattery fight, the 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery mount, the 100mm MT-12 Rapier anti-tank gun, and a 120mm mortar were hit. Air defense systems shot down six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and a Haymars MLRS missile
. 11:00 In the Vugledar area, UAV operators of the Vostok group hit a mortar crew of the Ukrainian Armed Forces -video.
10:50 After the complete liberation of Orlovka in the DPR, our troops, building on their success, were able to overcome the natural water barrier on the way to Semyonovka and enter the Central Street of the village, which is a road that connects both villages.
10:30 National Guardsmen in LPR discovered cache of ammunition in a flooded pit.
It contained about 6 thousand cartridges for small arms, 25 grenades, 40 RPG rounds and eight units of ammunition for the Polish RGP-40 hand-held revolving grenade launcher, as well as an MRO-A rocket-propelled flamethrower.
10:15 Statement of Head of the press center of the Vostok group:
Units of the Vostok group of troops continue to carry out combat missions in the South Donetsk direction.
During active operations, the group's units improved the situation along the front line and thwarted attempts by the enemy to strengthen forward positions and rotation in the areas of Staromayorskoye, Ravnopol, Priyutnoye and Lugovskoye.
Bomber strikes, artillery fire, and heavy flamethrower systems hit strongholds and places where manpower accumulated of the 1st Presidential Brigade of Ukraine, the 127th and 128th Territorial Defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of Urozhainy, Staromayorsky and Temirovka.
Over the course of 24 hours, up to 110 enemy military personnel, two self-propelled artillery units “Crab” and one 122mm 2S1 “Gvozdika”, three units of automotive equipment, and four unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed.
09:55 Missile strike on Kyiv. What is known so far:
This is the first massive attack on the capital of Ukraine after a break of 44 days. The first wave of attacks began around 06:00 Moscow time.
Several dozen Kh-101 missiles were used from strategic missile carriers. The arrivals of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles are also reported.
Presumably, military facilities were hit in the Podolsky district of Kyiv (location of personnel and two industrial enterprises), Shevchenkovsky (near the Chaika airfield), and Svyatoshinsky (location of personnel) district of the city. Reports of arrivals in the area of the Darnitsa railway junction have not yet been confirmed.
09:10 Buk-M1 team destroyed drone "Leleka" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction. Buks are effective against airplanes and helicopters and shoot down cruise and ballistic missiles. But it is drones that are now typical daily targets for anti-aircraft gunners of the 5th Army from Primorye. The enemy is trying as best he can to stop the successes of our eastern group in the South Donetsk direction.
“The targets are mainly reconnaissance-type drones due to the fact that our troops are advancing. They are trying in every possible way to designate their positions, we destroy them as they approach. Enemy aircraft do not reach here; in principle, there is none left. “Over the past week, 10 different drones were hit,” said the commander of the Buk-M1 battery with the call sign “Negan.”
09:02 The DPR representative office in the JCCC recorded 20 incidents of firing by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces during the day, and 59 ammunition were fired.
In the Donetsk direction the enemy carried out 5 shellings, in the Gorlovsky direction - 15. Six people were injured of varying degrees of severity. 11 residential buildings, three vehicles (two Emergency Situations Ministry vehicles) and three civil infrastructure facilities in Donetsk and Gorlovka were damaged.
08:17 Frontline summary on the morning of 03/21/2024:
On the Zaporozhye Front, the LBS remains without significant changes. Heavy fighting continues in Rabotino and north-west of Verbovoy.
On the Donetsk front, Russian troops are pushing back the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Tonenkoye-Orlovka-Berdychi line. There is progress in the Tonenkoye area, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have left the territory of dachas. On the same line, the Russian Armed Forces are developing success in the Orlovka area. In Berdychi, Ukrainian troops are still showing serious resistance, but Russian troops are not giving up attempts to advance from the eastern side of this settlement.
In the Bakhmut direction, the Russian Armed Forces continue to try to dislodge the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the western outskirts of Ivanovo (Krasny), but the Ukrainian troops are in no hurry to surrender the hill. Also, Russian troops carried out assault operations in Bogdanovka.
There is relative calm on the ground in the Kharkov and Sumy directions, but attempts at attacks by Ukrainian DRGs remain regular. artillery attack of the Belgorod region also remains regular. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are attacking the border territories of Russia using rocket and cannon artillery, striking civilians and civilian infrastructure.
08:00 300mm BM-30 “Tornado” struck artillery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces while protecting the state border of Russia in the Belgorod region. The reconnaissance was carried out using the Zoo complex.
During reconnaissance of the positions of Ukrainian militants' fire weapons, the radar calculation revealed the enemy's use of multiple launch rocket systems and foreign-made artillery pieces. After this, “Zoo” calculated the trajectories of enemy rounds to establish the coordinates of the targets’ locations.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[Regnum] On March 20, Ukraine celebrated the 385th anniversary of the birth of the most famous (after Bohdan Khmelnytsky) Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa-Kolodinsky. Somewhere, children in Mazepinka caps with tridents laid flowers at one of the many monuments. Somewhere they staged a theatrical performance, showed a movie, and held readings. But mainly the holiday manifested itself in a flood of pathetic texts on social networks, where public and political figures vied with each other to glorify the great figure of the past, “who decided to go against Moscow’s evil.”
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] The Ukrainian army is increasingly experiencing a shortage of ammunition and equipment every day. Against the backdrop of the fact that the US Congress has been blocking the issue of military assistance to Kyiv for six months, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are suffering setbacks at the front, snarling attacks on Russian territory. The key problem in Kyiv is the lack of artillery ammunition. European countries were never able to provide their allies with a sufficient number of shells.
#1
For every major productive, military factory and energy production facility in Taiwan the ROC makes a duplicate deep inside hollowed out mountains. In an insecure world that's what one should do.
#8
US told Kiev to stop strikes on Russian oil sites – FT
The White House is reportedly concerned that a possible hike in gas prices could threaten Joe Biden’s re-election bid
LOL.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/22/2024 16:52 Comments ||
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[Regnum] Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia Ella Pamfilova said on March 21 that the CEC resources suffered 12.2 million DDoS hacker attacks during the country's presidential elections.
“12 million 200 thousand potentially dangerous impacts from the Internet on the CEC website, on all its digital resources, including 14 targeted DDoS attacks with a total duration of 84 minutes,” she said.
The remote electronic voting system also suffered from hackers, Pamfilova added.
“Since the beginning of voting, over 420 thousand attacks on the resources of the DEG have been blocked, just imagine,” noted the head of the CEC.
As Regnum reported, on the same day, at a meeting of the commission, Pamfilova said that because of the hack, it was not possible to hack the video surveillance system during the presidential elections. The CEC promised to show who exactly made these attempts and what exactly the identified persons did to discredit the presidential elections.
Roskomnadzor also said on March 18 that during the voting, hackers carried out 497 cyber attacks on the information and telecommunications infrastructure of Russia, which required countermeasures to be taken by the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communications Network of the RKN. The DDoS attacks were carried out simultaneously on all resources of the election infrastructure, and the longest of them lasted 40 hours and 12 minutes, the department added.
Voting in the Russian presidential elections took place from March 15 to 17, 2024. Four candidates registered by the Central Election Commission applied for the post of head of state: Leonid Slutsky (LDPR), Nikolai Kharitonov (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), Vladislav Davankov (New People) and self-nominated Vladimir Putin, who won with a final result of 87.28% (76,277,708 votes). 4.31% of voters voted for Kharitonov, 3.85% for Davankov, and 3.2% for Slutsky. The voting took place with a record turnout in the modern history of the country, taking into account the DEGs of 77.49%. 87,576,075 voters took part in the voting, which is a historical figure.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Vice Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov has become the acting commander of the Northern Fleet, the Ministry of Defense reported.
For the first time in his new position, Kabantsov was mentioned in a release from the press service of the Northern Fleet about congratulating submariners. The military leader, together with the governor of the Murmansk region Andrei Chibis, congratulated the crew of the cruiser "Emperor Alexander III" on the 118th anniversary of the Russian submarine fleet. Submariners celebrated their professional holiday on March 19.
Since November 2021, Kabantsov has served as First Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet. From 1990 to 2003, he served on nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet as a combat unit commander, assistant commander, and senior assistant commander of a nuclear submarine. At the age of 35, he became the commander of the Guards nuclear submarine "Gepard" and brought the ship into line. From 2018 to 2020, Kabantsov was the commander of the White Sea naval base of the Northern Fleet. Until 2021, he was the commander of the Primorsky flotilla of diverse forces of the Pacific Fleet.
The former commander of the Northern Fleet, Hero of Russia, Admiral Alexander Moiseev previously became acting commander-in-chief of the Navy. He was presented as acting commander-in-chief of the Navy at a ceremony in Kronstadt on March 19.
At the beginning of March, information appeared in the media that the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, had been dismissed. At the same time, it became known about the possible appointment of Moiseev to this place. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on March 11 that there were no open decrees on the appointment.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] In Yekaterinburg, they laughed at an extremist who was planning to carry out a terrorist attack in one of the city’s military units. This was reported on March 21 by the press service of the regional department of the FSB.
The special operation was carried out jointly with military counterintelligence agencies. The detainee turned out to be a functionary of the extremist organization “Citizens of the USSR” (the organization is included in the list of extremist organizations by the Ministry of Justice and is banned in the Russian Federation). He had five homemade incendiary devices with him.
A criminal case was opened against the suspect under the article of preparation for a terrorist attack. By decision of the court, the defendant was sent into custody. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
As Regnum reported, a man who intended to commit a terrorist attack at the Trans-Siberian Railway junction was detained in the Sverdlovsk region. The attacker is a 62-year-old Russian citizen. He acted on instructions from the State Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, which recruited him in Lvov and sent him to Russia. A criminal case was opened against the man under the article of terrorism.
On March 14, FSB officers defeated a secret cell of the “Russian Volunteer Corps” (a terrorist organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation) in St. Petersburg, which included four local residents who were adherents of right-wing radical ideology.
Members of the cell conducted reconnaissance of life support facilities, transport, and other critical infrastructure in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region for the purpose of terrorist attacks. On instructions from Ukrainian military intelligence, they planned in St. Petersburg to poison food products for the Russian military in the Northern Military District zone with a highly toxic substance. The militants were detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case was opened against them.
Terrorists planning an attack on a Moscow synagogue were eliminated in the Kaluga region on March 7. The attack on the parishioners of the capital's synagogue was planned by members of the Islamic State cell (a terrorist organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation).
[Regnum] Employees of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation detained two residents of Mariupol suspected of publicly justifying terrorism. This was reported on Thursday, March 21, by the press service of the FSB Directorate for the Donetsk People's Republic.
During the operational activities, it was established that the detainees published videos and comments on social networks aimed at justifying the terrorist activities of one of the banned Ukrainian neo-Nazi organizations and the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge in 2023.
It is noted that the investigative department of the FSB opened two criminal cases under Part 2 of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Public calls for terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism”).
As reported by IA Regnum, on March 16, a man was detained in the Sverdlovsk region who was planning to commit a terrorist attack at the railway junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. A criminal case was opened against the detainee under the article on a terrorist attack (part 3 of article 30, paragraph “a” of part 2 of article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The Russian FSB noted that the man, acting on instructions from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, admitted guilt.
Commentary by Russian military journalist is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Russia has begun mass production of three-ton high-explosive bombs FAB-3000, the Ministry of Defense reports.
Minister Sergei Shoigu checked the implementation of the state defense order at defense industry enterprises in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the department notes.
“Sergei Shoigu was informed that the enterprise has significantly increased the production of FAB-500 aerial bombs, doubled the production of FAB-1500, and since February of this year, mass production of FAB-3000 has been organized,” the ministry said.
The American television channel CNN reported that the use of FAB-1500 air bombs by the Russian army leads to huge losses in the ranks of the Ukrainian troops.
If everything goes well with the production of UMPC for them, then the use of this tool will facilitate many tasks in breaking through fortified positions.
[Regnum] In Russia, mass production of three-ton FAB-3000 aerial bombs began in February 2024, the Ministry of Defense reported on March 21.
On March 21, the head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, visited the factories of the military-industrial complex in the Nizhny Novgorod region and checked the implementation of the state defense order. He inspected the production of aircraft weapons, and was also shown workshops for the production of artillery and tank shells of various calibers.
The management of the enterprise reported that the plant fully fulfills the state defense order. Since the beginning of 2024, the company has significantly increased its production volume.
“Sergei Shoigu was informed that the enterprise has increased the production of FAB-500 aerial bombs many times over, doubled the production of FAB-1500, and since February of this year, mass production of FAB-3000 has been organized,” the Ministry of Defense reported.
Shoigu, having inspected the work of the workshops, held a working meeting at which he noted that the Ministry of Defense was counting on an increase in production volumes in the third quarter, but in practice this was achieved after the end of the first quarter.
High-explosive aerial bombs FAB are used to destroy large objects, including energy and military-industrial ones. In the Northeast Military District zone, the Russian military uses FAB-500, as well as FAB-1500.
In 2023, the FAB-250 was equipped with a controlled planning and correction module (UMPC). The bomb is controlled using a guidance system and retractable wings that help it glide towards the target.
This module allows you to highly accurately hit specified targets without entering the enemy’s air defense zone - at a distance of 100 km. The same modules were provided for FAB-500, FAB-1500 and FAB-3000 (modification FAB-3000-M54).
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kamran Hasanov
[REGNUM] In the context of confrontation between the West and Russia, the visit of major Western figures to the countries of the post-Soviet space is of great interest. As long as the conflict in Ukraine continues, the United States and its allies will try to fill the vacuum in Russia’s traditional areas of interest.
After the start of the CWO, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was already touring the countries of Central Asia, trying to turn them against Russia and asking them to join anti-Russian sanctions. Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron came to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan with the same initiatives. However, neither one nor the other was able to achieve their goals.
The next visitor was NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who made a tour to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia on March 17–19.
WHY SOUTH CAUCASUS
One of the goals of such trips is to compensate for the exclusion of Western and NATO states from developing countries. Against the backdrop of the transformation of the international system towards greater multipolarity, France is being squeezed out of Africa, and the United States is being squeezed in the Middle East. Therefore, they need new partners to pump out minerals, uranium, gas and oil.
Central Asia remains a tasty morsel, but inaccessible to the West. The majority of countries in the region are in a military and economic alliance with Russia and do not intend to leave the CSTO and the EAEU. Turkmenistan is neutral, but does not fit into the Western model for political reasons. Uzbekistan is pursuing a multi-vector policy.
Meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Yerevan. 2022
An additional headache is created here by China with its powerful trade and investment presence, and the West faces competition with Beijing in a whole range of areas.
Since the 90s, the Baltic states have moved into the orbit of influence of NATO and the United States; in Ukraine, the West established its protectorate since Euromaidan. In Belarus, the Maidan scenario failed in 2020, and after the start of the Northern Military District, Minsk became completely hostile to the West. Of the post-Soviet regions, only the South Caucasus remains.
Competition here is still high, but there are opportunities to expand influence and promote Western interests. That is why the NATO Secretary General honored the region with his attention.
AZERBAIJANI CAUTION
Of the three countries, NATO has the least chance in Azerbaijan, and that is why Stoltenberg stayed here for almost two days. Over the past year, Baku's relations with the West have deteriorated sharply. And this happened not only because of the pro-Armenian position of France, the visits of French politicians to Yerevan and the anti-Azerbaijani resolutions of the Senate.
At the end of last year, the State Department also distinguished itself by threatening to freeze summit meetings due to Azerbaijan’s taking full control of Nagorno-Karabakh and the exodus of Armenians from the region, which the US leadership called “ethnic cleansing.” The resolutions of the European Parliament and the suspension of Azerbaijan’s membership in PACE due to the same exodus of Armenians, as well as the presidential elections and the victory of Ilham Aliyev, added fuel to the fire.
The actions of European and American officials in Azerbaijan are considered in the context of general relations with the West. Therefore, Stoltenberg, as a representative of the Western military alliance, needed to normalize ties with Baku. At the meeting with Aliyev, he did not skimp on compliments. He thanked Azerbaijan for its participation in peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, recalling that the Azerbaijani military was the last to leave Kabul airport.
He also pointed to Azerbaijan's contribution to European energy security, referring to gas supplies through the TANAP and TAP pipelines. In his speech, Stoltenberg went so far as to thank Baku even for the “necessary support for Ukraine” - Baku supplied humanitarian aid to Kiev.
Although the West has pretty much frayed the nerves of the Azerbaijani leadership, Baku is not going to break with it. Energy is too important for the republic's economy. In addition, Azerbaijan has a military alliance with NATO Turkey, which also normalized relations with Euro-American partners in the last year.
Aliyev showed solidarity with Stoltenberg on all topics - from energy to peacekeeping, but did not emphasize the topic of Ukraine in the context in which the NATO Secretary General, who accused Russia of “military aggression,” wanted it.
Since 2022, Azerbaijan has an allied status of relations with Russia. Moscow remains an important economic partner of Baku. And this reality was again confirmed during Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s recent visit to the Azerbaijani capital, where the parties agreed to expand economic projects.
GEORGIAN PRAGMATISM
In Georgia the situation is somewhat different. Since the time of Mikheil Saakashvili and especially after the war in South Ossetia, Tbilisi has made NATO membership a foreign policy priority.
Although, under the rule of the Georgian Dream, the country has taken a pragmatic course towards Russia and has recently achieved the opening of air traffic and the removal of visas from Russia for Georgian citizens, its position on Euro-Atlantic integration remains unchanged.
Georgia is waiting to join the European Union, offended that it was not given candidate status for a long time, and Brussels has already launched accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine. Foreign Minister Ilya Darchiashvili recalled that joining NATO remains “the cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy.”
The similarity between Georgia and Azerbaijan for NATO is that both countries do not join anti-Russian sanctions and do not adequately support Ukraine. Relations with both Baku and Tbilisi have deteriorated in recent years. With Baku - because of Karabakh and Armenia, with Tbilisi - because of the Northern Military District and sanctions.
But Stoltenberg wants to improve ties with each of the republics. There are more chances with Georgia, since there remains a territorial dispute between it and Russia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Granting EU candidate status should make NATO's task easier. And it was no coincidence that Stoltenberg said that candidate status “will strengthen the aspirations for prosperity and the spirit in this direction in the country, we will go side by side in the direction of NATO.”
In fact, he confirmed that integration with the EU and NATO are synchronous things. The only difficulty is that the Secretary General cannot outline clear prospects and name dates for joining the North Atlantic Alliance, which is what the members of the Georgian Dream expected from him.
Stoltenberg recalled the reforms that both Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen spoke about during their visits to Tbilisi. Part of these reforms is coordination with the EU and NATO on foreign policy issues, read - the adoption of anti-Russian decisions on sanctions and Ukraine.
ARMENIAN NEW COURSE
The greatest intrigue is created by Stoltenberg’s visit to Armenia.
If Azerbaijan is closely connected with the NATO country Turkey, and Georgia directly speaks of its desire to join there, then Armenia is a member of the CSTO. For Moscow, the appearance of the chairman of a hostile organization in a country where a Russian military base is located is not just a challenge, but a threat to its geopolitical interests.
Brussels understands this and that is why they are taking steps in this direction. They also understand that the current visit of the NATO Secretary General - the second since 2020 - lies on fertile soil.
Just on the eve of Stoltenberg’s trip, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan questioned his country’s continued presence in the CSTO, first announcing a freeze of membership, and then completely allowing exit from the bloc.
The very fact of Pashinyan’s arrival as a result of the “velvet revolution” already sowed doubts about further partnership with Russia, but for a long time Yerevan masked its Western aspirations.
The masks were dropped after 2020 and the subsequent events: aggravations on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Baku’s establishment of control over the Lachin corridor, and most importantly, Aliyev’s counter-terrorism operation in Karabakh.
Pashinyan blamed all these troubles on the Armenians on the CSTO, which did not come to the aid of his country. Pashinyan began to take steps towards rapprochement with the West. Invited EU observers to the border with Azerbaijan, joined the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, sent his wife to Kiev and declared that Armenia is not an ally of Russia in Ukraine.
After the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a note of protest to the Armenian ambassador for the first time in the history of bilateral relations, the chances of the United States, France and NATO for rapprochement with Armenia increased sharply. Armenia’s entry into the Alliance is still a long way off, and Yerevan prefers not to talk about it officially, but steps are being taken in this direction. If Pashinyan is ready to integrate with the EU to the extent that the Union wants, the same principles can work with NATO.
At talks with Stoltenberg, Pashinyan said that his country was “interested in continuing to develop political dialogue with NATO and expanding partnerships both with NATO and with individual member countries.” In addition, the Armenian prime minister counts on NATO as a guarantor of security and tells Stoltenberg about the importance of “strengthening the level of resistance and developing appropriate defensive potential.”
What is this if not an invitation to the NATO army to guard the Zvartnots airport, from where Russian border guards are being expelled, and in the future, quartering in Gyumri, where the Russian 102nd military base is located?
If the presence of the Russian military in Gyumri is a deterrent for NATO, then the political transformations in Armenia are working in favor of strengthening the partnership. Stoltenberg supported Pashinyan's commitment to democracy. The Secretary General did not speak out loud about NATO prospects, but the words “NATO promotes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia” provide food for thought.
And it seems that Stoltenberg is preparing the ground for sending NATO troops to the Transcaucasian republic, which doubts security guarantees from Russia, but hopes for help from NATO France. Moscow’s relations with Paris are worsening in light of Emmanuel Macron’s statements about his readiness to send an army to Ukraine, and France may act as a conductor of NATO interests in Armenia.
By the way, regarding Ukraine, according to Stoltenberg, Armenia and NATO also have common principles. “I welcome the solidarity of Armenia with Ukraine,” he said. And here, according to NATO estimates, Armenia is not on Russia’s side.
VICTORY IN UKRAINE WILL DECIDE EVERYTHING
To summarize, we can say that Stoltenberg was partly able to level out the West’s shaken relations with Azerbaijan and Georgia and contributed his own brick to the foundation of the process of squeezing Russia out of Armenia. Whether the NATO Secretary General's visit will be successful in the long run depends on several factors.
In the case of Baku, we can say with confidence that improving ties will not undermine Russia’s position. Azerbaijan does not strive either to join NATO - and Stoltenberg openly said this, or to the EU - Aliyev spoke about this recently. Azerbaijan will continue its multi-vector policy in its national interests, cooperating with both the EU and the USA, as well as Russia and Turkey.
In Georgia, NATO will not achieve serious changes until the government changes. In Armenia, the potential for deepening ties is much greater due to the policies pursued by the Pashinyan government. But, as in the case of Georgia and Armenia, NATO's success depends on what results Russia achieves in Ukraine.
For the West, the ideal option is the defeat of Russia, which will increase the chances of squeezing it out of the South Caucasus. A Russian victory could reverse the relative successes of the West not only in Georgia, but also in Armenia. And the prolongation of the Ukrainian conflict will preserve a scenario in which NATO will continue to impose a fight on Moscow in the region.
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
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
