Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespomdent] 22:35 During the day, the Russians hit Nikopol and the Krasnogrigoryevsk community of the Dnepropetrovsk region eight times with kamikaze drones and artillery. Two people were injured, more than 30 private houses were damaged, and there was also destruction on the territory of an infrastructure facility, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Lysak.
22:19 Macron said that NATO countries cannot follow the path of escalation, “because we don’t need another war.” At the same time, he emphasized that Russia should not win, “but our goal is also to return peace to Europe. We have no limits, and we will react depending on how the Russian Federation reacts.”
According to the French president, the territorial integrity of Ukraine will be a “fundamental value” in possible negotiations with the Russian Federation. “If Putin suddenly wants to offer something, I will answer the phone call. But real negotiations on ending the war should be conducted by Putin and Zelensky,” he added. Macron also confirmed his visit to Ukraine: “I will come with specific proposals and decisions.”
In addition, Macron said that France would offer Russia a ceasefire in Ukraine for the duration of the Olympic Games, which will be held from July 26 to August 11.
20:58 Yuriy Ignat was dismissed from the post of speaker of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said commander Nikolai Oleshchuk. At the same time, he added that Ignat will remain part of the Armed Forces and “will work in another direction no less successfully.”
20:36 Zelensky, in an evening video message, commented on the strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation: “Over the past weeks, many have already seen that the Russian war system has vulnerabilities and that we can reach these vulnerabilities with our weapons. And I thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the SBU and the Main Directorate intelligence for the new Ukrainian long-range. Of course, I also thank our defense-industrial complex - everyone who works for the sake of Ukrainian strength, because this is truly Ukrainian long-range - what our own drones can do. Ukraine will now always have its own strike force in the sky ".
19:54 Budanov commented on the attacks of Russian volunteers on the territory of the Russian Federation: “As far as we know, they are not going to end in the near future. They will do what they have enough strength to do. And as we see, they have enough strength to at least achieve limited success. What will happen next - we will see over time... This is an internal question. We may like some more, like others less. But some Russians are different from others."
16:17 The ruling coalition of Germany supported the transfer of Taurus to Ukraine in the European Parliament. During the EP meeting in Strasbourg, politicians from the SPD, VDP and Greens voted for a resolution that Ukraine needs these long-range missiles. The vote in the European Parliament took place on a resolution on “the need for unwavering support for Ukraine from the EU.” One of the paragraphs of the document noted that “the country especially needs highly developed air defense systems, long-range cruise missiles such as Taurus, Storm Shadow and Scalp systems, modern combat aircraft, various types of artillery and ammunition, as well as drones.”
In turn, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces, Carsten Breuer, explained that using the Taurus is more complicated than the public knows. According to him, this requires extensive comprehensive data, which must be prepared by special technical installations. In addition, the Bundeswehr has a small amount of this equipment, so if it is transferred to Ukraine, the defense capability of the German army will be seriously weakened.
16:11 In the occupied Skadovsk, Kherson region, on the afternoon of March 15, an explosion occurred in the central square while the occupying forces were patrolling. As a result of the successful sabotage by the partisans, five Russians were injured, the Center for National Resistance reported. After this, the occupation administration of the city canceled further “elections”, allowing only “voting” at the place of residence.
15:53 The SBU hit three Rosneft oil refineries with drones, Ukrainskaya Pravda reports, citing sources. We are talking about the Novokuybyshevsky, Kuibyshevsky and Syzran oil refineries. According to the source, in total these plants process about 25 million tons of oil per year, that is, almost 10% of the total volume in the Russian Federation.
13:39 German intelligence services have prepared for the government an analysis of the military threat from the Russian Federation, which predicts that from 2026 it could attack the territory of NATO member countries, writes Business Insider. According to analysts, Russia is preparing for a large-scale conflict with the West, as indicated by the reorganization of the Russian army, the movement of troops and the deployment of missiles in the west of the country, as well as the increase in arms production. The latter could lead to Russia doubling its military power over the next five years, especially in the field of conventional weapons.
13:10 In the morning, the Russians fired heavy artillery at Novoselovka First, Ocheretinsk community, Donetsk region - one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. Over the previous 24 hours, one person was wounded in Krasnogorovka, Maryinsk community, Pokrovsky district. Also in the evening, the enemy launched a missile attack on Slavyansk - an industrial building was damaged.
12:48 The number of victims of the Russian missile strike on Odessa has increased to 21 - another rescuer died in the hospital, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OBA. 39 victims remain in medical facilities.
12:17 More than 50 UN member countries condemned the so-called “elections” of the President of the Russian Federation, held by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine, reported the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN. The joint statement was signed by the EU and 55 countries, including the USA, Australia, Argentina, Great Britain, Georgia, Moldova, Uruguay, South Korea, and Japan.
11:42 The Russian Volunteer Corps claims that it has captured more than 20 Russian soldiers and invited the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, to a meeting to pick up the prisoners. Russian volunteers also denied information about the alleged destruction of the RDK, saying that a “limited military operation” in the Belgorod and Kursk regions continues.
09:33 Belgorod public pages write about powerful shelling of the city. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported two dead and three injured. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems allegedly destroyed eight Vampire missiles over the Belgorod region, as well as at least five drones.
09:26 At night, the Russians struck the village of Kazachya Lopan in the Kharkov region with a drone, damaging a critical infrastructure facility, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. In addition, in the evening, as a result of an attack by an enemy UAV, two people were wounded in the village of Okhrimovka, Chuguevsky district.
08:57 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 16:
personnel - about 429,580 (+1160) people,
tanks - 6779 (+21),
armored combat vehicles - 12,973 (+24),
artillery systems - 10 606 (+26),
MLRS - 1017 (+0),
air defense systems - 719 (+2),
aircraft - 347 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 8268 (+14),
cruise missiles - 1922 (+2),
ships/boats - 26 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,024 (+31),
special equipment - 1712 (+1).
08:28 Over the past 24 hours, 78 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 and Novomikhailovka. Another 26 enemy attacks were repulsed in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenkoye and Pervomaiskoye.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled three attacks in the Sinkovka and Tabaevka areas of the Kharkov region; in Limansky - nine attacks in the areas of Belogorivka, Lugansk region, and Ternov and Razdolovka, Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - three attacks in the Andreevka 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.
07:42 Drones attacked the Syzran and Novokuibyshevsky oil refineries in the Samara region, a fire broke out at an oil products processing plant, there were no casualties, Governor Dmitry Azarov said. The public clarifies that in Syzran the area of the fire is 500 square meters. m. The refinery belongs to Rosneft, the AVT-6 installation was attacked.
06:35 Air defense destroyed two of the two Shahed attack UAVs in the Kharkov region at night, the Air Force reported.
01:21 The United States is not against the deployment of troops of other countries on the territory of Ukraine, but it will not do this itself, White House adviser John Kirby said: “This is a sovereign decision that is assessed and made by each nation. I can only speak on behalf of this sovereign nation and this commander in chief. He made it clear that we will not station our troops there."
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th, 68th Mechanised brigades, and 25th Airborne Brigade near Kotlyarovka, Berestovoye (Kharkov region), and Nadiya (Lugansk People's Republic).
Two attacks launched by enemy assault detachments were repelled near Sinkova (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 50 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and five 122mm D-30 howitzers.
Russian units inflicted losses on enemy manpower and hardware clusters in the border areas of Ukraine and Belgorod and Kursk region.
Attacks were repelled and attempts by sabotage and reconnaissance groups of Ukrainian militants to infiltrate the territory of the Russian Federation were foiled on the side of Popovka (Sumy region) and in the direction of Spodoryushino and Kozinka (Belgorod region).
As a result of aviation and artillery strikes, the AFU losses amounted to up to 30 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, one Czech-made Vampire MLRS, and one 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 93rd Mechanised Brigade, 46th, 81st Airmobile brigades, 79th Air Assault Brigade near Belogorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Novomikhailovka, Georgiyevka, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
One attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 81st Airmobile Brigade was repelled near Belogorovka (Lugansk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 260 Ukrainian troops, 11 motor vehicles, one UK-made FH-70 howitzer, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, and one U.S.-made M119 howitzer. Four AFU ammunition depots were destroyed.
In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation in the areas of responsibility and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 47th, 110th Mechanised brigades, and 71st Jaeger Brigade near Semenovka, Berdichi, and Novokalinovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
Three attacks launched by units of the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade, 3rd Assault Brigade, and 78th Separate Air Assault Regiment were repelled near Novokalinovo, Tonenkoye, and Semenovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 400 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, 15 motor vehicles, one UK-made AS-90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, and two 122mm D-30 howitzers.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 1st Ukrainian National Guard Brigade and 127th Territorial Defence Brigade near Urozhaynoye and Ravnopol (Donetsk People's Republic).
One attack launched by units of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade was repelled near Vladimirovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 130 Ukrainian troops, four motor vehicles, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, and one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station.
In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on units of the AFU 121st Territorial Defence Brigade, 2nd, 15th, and 23rd Ukrainian National Guard brigades near Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region), Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region), and Zolotaya Balka (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 40 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle assembly workshop near Konotop (Sumy region), temporary deployment areas of Luth and Tsunami nationalist formations near Odessa, four AFU unmanned aerial vehicles command posts, as well as engaged AFU manpower and military hardware in 149 areas.
Air defence units shot down 108 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, 17 MLRS projectiles, including 15 Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles, one U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectile, and one 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS projectile.
In total, 577 airplanes and 269 helicopters, 15,681 unmanned aerial vehicles, 486 air defence missile systems, 15,505 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,240 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,425 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 19,829 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:57 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 03/16/2024 to 00:00 03/17/2024.
A total of 21 cases of armed attacks by the UFU were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC over the past 24 hours.
A total of 12 artillery attacks in the Donetsk direction.
Nine artillery attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 58 units of various ammunition were fired.
22:58 Borderland.
Information is coming from the area that the run on Kozinka has been repelled. The enemy lost several tanks and armored fighting vehicles and a large number of manpower.
Border is locked tight. The guys continue to deliver massive attacks on enemy concentrations, preventing them from regrouping.
22:10 Front bird broadcasts: Attempt to break through on the border. Summary. 16.03 22:00
It is reported that our border guards of the FSB Directorate are currently repelling a massive attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement Kozinka. Enemy personnel – up to two companies (~250 effectives).
According to incoming information, an Armed Forces tank and 1 infantry fighting vehicle have already been hit. In addition to the breakthrough itself, the enemy is firing at Gayvoron with MLRS and artillery.
Fierce fighting continues.
Our guys bravely retreat from the attack. UAVs, tanks, artillery, mortars are used on the battlefield, and our aviation has joined in.
Conclusion - after the destruction of enemy forces, the urgent question arises of creating a buffer (gray zone) outside the state border of the Russian Federation.
21:40 It is reported that at these minutes the enemy trying to go to the village Kozinka in the Grayvoronsky district. The enemy uses a large number of manpower and armored vehicles.
At the moment, attempts are being repulsed. Our heavy artillery, lancets, VKS, MLRS are actively working. The enemy is simultaneously conducting massive artillery attack of the Grayvoronsky district.
20:34 Avdeevskoe direction –map.
Today our army continued its offensive and achieved significant success. Enemy propagandists report that the situation is extremely difficult on the Tonenkoye-Orlovka-Semyonovka-Berdychi section.
19:45 The 110th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces (formerly the 100th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the DPR NM) published personnel capture of the village of Nevel'skoye near Donetsk.
19:05 Consequences of the artillery attack of the Budennovsky district of Donetsk -photo.
19:49 Russian troops entrenched themselves in the center of the village of Rabotino on the Zaporozhye front line,reportedhead of the public movement “We are together with Russia” Vladimir Rogov.
18:35 One of the Czech RM-70 Vampire MLRS systems, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces use to shell the Belgorod region, was destroyed during a counterbattery fight in the Khar'kov region -video.
17:47 Explosions are heard in the Kyiv-controlled city of Kherson, Ukrainian media report
17:25 The enemy confirms the “arrival” in the Liptsov area. Enemy MLRS installations were covered. There were two parishes of OTRK Iskander. According to the SVO Reports and Analytics, ours still preliminarily hit enemy installations. The Armed Forces of Ukraine “Fire Show” have the “Vampire” MLRS at the launching positions.
16:50 Situation at the front as of March 16, 2024
Artillery worked out two concentrations of enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlement. Gulyaypole and Komsomol'skoe. As a result, the dugout was destroyed and the enemy's field ammunition depot was destroyed.
In areas of settlement Ugledar, Nikol'skoye and Pavlovka by the Vostok group suppressed three strong points. As a result of the work of artillery in this direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to lose weapons and military equipment, and cases of soldiers of the Kyiv regime surrendering into captivity have been recorded.
15:47 In Kakhovka, Kherson region, a 50-year-old woman was killed and four more people were injured as a result of drone fire by Ukrainian terrorists. The victims were provided with medical assistance, and emergency services were working at the “arrival” sites. This was announced by the regional governor Vladimir Saldo.
“Terrorists sent the Ukrainian drone that killed the woman to the monument to the victims of fascism. The Kiev regime is unsuccessfully trying to destabilize the situation in the city during the voting - Kakhovka residents continue to vote. Residents of the Kherson region cannot be intimidated - they made their choice,” wrote Saldo in the Teltgram channel.
15:05 The Ukrainian Armed Forces are transferring equipment and personnel to Volchansk. They are settled in the private sector in the city and nearby settlements.
14:54 The Ukrainian Armed Forces dropped a projectile from a drone on a polling station in the village of Blagoveshchenka, Zaporozhye region, there were no casualties, the polling station reported.
13:55 On March 16, the operational lines of the DPR Representative Office to the JCCC received information about damage as a result of artillery attack by the Air Forces of the cities of the Republic:
Donetsk:
Kuibyshevsky district:
– st. Kurchatova, 62, 64 – private residential buildings;
– the bus of city route No. 6 “a” was damaged.
Petrovsky district:
– st. Polukhina, 15 – private residential building.
n.p. Gorlovka (Nikitovsky district):
– “Grant” store on Lenin Ave.
13:17 The main thing from the new briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense:
The Russian Armed Forces destroyed a UAV assembly shop in the Sumy region, as well as temporary deployment points for militants in the Odessa region;
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 260 servicemen per day in the Donetsk direction;
The RF Armed Forces have improved the situation in the areas of responsibility in the Avdeevsky direction;
Over the course of a day, the Russian troops improved the tactical position along the front line in the South Donetsk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 130 military personnel;
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 30 military personnel and the Vampire MLRS during a failed attempt to penetrate the Russian Federation;
During the day, Russian air defense shot down 108 Ukrainian drones, 15 Vampire MLRS rounds, one HIMARS and one 122mm BM-21 Grad.
12:52 Consequences of dropping an explosive object from a Ukrainian UAV in the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk -photo.
11:55 Statement of senior officer of the press center of the "South" group:
Units of the “Southern” group of forces, supported by air strikes and artillery fire, improved the situation along the front line and defeated the formations of the 46th Airmobile, 79th Airborne Assault, 92nd Assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of Novomikhailovka, Konstantinovka, Praskovievka and Kurakhovo.
An attack by the assault group of the 81st Airmobile Brigade in the Belogorovka area was repelled.
The enemy lost more than 330 troops, a tank, an armored personnel carrier, a Kozak armored car and 12 pickup trucks.
11:17 Analysis of the results of the destruction of enemy military-industrial complex facilities in the Sumy region
This night, the Russian military struck the territory of the Aviakon plant in the Sumy region. According to available data, during the Northern Military District the enemy reoriented the enterprise’s capacity to produce loitering ammunition, attack drones, as well as spare parts and components for flying military equipment, writes Donbass Partisan.
As a result of the missile strike, warehouses, workshops and specialized equipment were destroyed/damaged, which resulted in a complete loss of production capacity.
Considering the fact that the Aviakon plant was one of the key facilities and played an important role in the production of modules and components for aircraft (which explains its operation near the Russian borders), this creates serious problems for the enemy’s defense industry.
Recently, industrial facilities associated with the military-industrial complex have increasingly become targets of strikes.
11:07 It is reported that after yesterday’s consolidation of our troops in the southern part of Berdychi, our troops also advanced between Berdychi and Orlovka in the direction of Semenovka
The reserves brought into battle by the enemy were able to slow down the advance of our troops, but not stop it.
10:50 Avdeevskoye direction: fighting on the Berdychi - Tonenkoye line situation by 10.00 March 16, 2024:
For the last few days, heavy fighting has been going on in the Avdievka direction in Berdychi and Tonenkoye, where the Russian Armed Forces were able to “jump in on the shoulders” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units retreating from Avdievka.
However, the enemy recovered quickly enough and was able to quickly transfer reinforcements to the sector, creating a numerical superiority in the entire direction and gathering over 15 brigades by March 6.
Thus, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to stop the rapid advance of the Russian Armed Forces, even if at the beginning they had to cut off their own personnel with artillery from the evacuation routes.
Despite the enemy's numerical superiority, the battles become positional. The Russian Armed Forces maintain a presence in Tonenkoye and Orlovka, as well as on the eastern outskirts of Berdychi. The enemy counterattacks based on Semenovka using armored vehicles, but cannot dislodge Russian forces.
The northern flank in Berdychi, which is most difficult for the RF Armed Forces and important for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, rests on Petrovskoye, and is supported by the AKHZ and ash dump. Although reconnaissance UAVs have reduced the role of commanding heights, they still cannot completely neutralize it. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces actively use armored vehicles, while assault groups apparently lack anti-tank weapons.
The fact that an evacuation point was organized in the village of Progress, west of Ocheretino, also raises concerns. The enemy may well try to organize attacks on the flank of the advancing Russian units, relying on Novobakhmutovka and Solovyevo, where there is enough dense planting for a relatively covert advance.
South of Berdychi, in Orlovka and Tonenkoye, the situation for Russian forces is somewhat better, since only two roads lead to Orlovka from Semenovka, and to the west of Tonenkoye there are 4-6 kilometers of fields and plantings to Umanskoye and Yasnobrodovka, which adds to the difficulties for the enemy in organizing counterattacks.
At the same time, engineering work is also underway in the same area along the route S-051801 Orlovka - Umanskoye - Netailovo, and the heights west of Umanskoye and Yasnobrodovka on the eastern bank of the Karlovskoye reservoir represent an extremely convenient natural line of defense.
However, even taking into account the current situation, the Russian Armed Forces are making attempts to attack. To the west of Tonenkoye, an armored group with infantry occupied the ruins of a dairy farm. In the Berdychi area, a breakthrough was made to the outskirts of Semenovka, but without further consolidation. The enemy stopped the equipment with a landing party of its own infantry fighting vehicle.
In addition, the “pockets” that emerged in the first days of the offensive to the north and south of Orlovka were at least partially cleared. The remnants of the enemy infantry were subjected to massive strikes by “Sunlighters” with a natural outcome: the enemy was simply burned out.
In general, the situation is greatly complicated by the abundance of enemy drones. Not only vehicles and armored vehicles, but even single soldiers are subject to drops and strikes from FPV drones, which indicates that there is no shortage of weapons. And this, in turn, complicates not only promotion, but also the retention of previously occupied positions in principle.
10:17 The criminal Kiev regime continues to 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. Kakhovka eight rounds;
-- n.p. Gornostaevka four rounds;
-- n.p. Brilevka two rounds;
-- n.p. Velikaya Lepetikha three rounds;
-- n.p. Kazachi Lagery four rounds;
-- n.p. Golaya Pristan two rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Kardashinka, n.p. Podstepnoye, n.p. Peschanivka, n.p. Aleshki, n.p. Kakhovka, firing a total of 15 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
10:05 Frontline summary on the morning of 03/16/2024:
On the Zaporozhye Front, the Russian Armed Forces continue to exchange artillery strikes and conduct positional battles with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Rabotino. The Ukrainians are unable to drive Russian troops out of the village. Between Rabotino and Verbov there are also mainly counter battles, but the initiative here is in the hands of the Russian Armed Forces.
On the Donetsk front, the counterattacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are losing their activity, which indicates either a difficult situation and a lack of reserves, or that the time gained by transferring additional forces was enough for the Ukrainians to strengthen the defense line to which they are preparing to retreat.
In the area of Novomikhailovka, Krasnogorovka and Pervomaisky, the Russian Armed Forces carried out assault operations, and there were tactical successes. On the Tonenkoye-Orlovka-Berdychi line, the initiative again passed to the Russian troops. There are advances in all three settlements, and between Orlovka and Berdychi there are signs that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are withdrawing their forces to Semyonovka. Whether this is a planned maneuver or a retreat due to possible encirclement will become clear after the final liberation of these settlements.
In the Bakhmut direction, assault operations by the Russian Armed Forces in the Bogdanovka area. In Ivanovo (Krasny) there are positional battles, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to hold positions on the western outskirts of the settlement. Russian artillery and aviation are actively working in the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In the Kharkov and Sumy directions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out strikes with long-range weapons throughout the day on the territory of the Kursk and Belgorod regions. The main activity took place in the Tyotkino and Spodaryushino areas. It is worth noting that after unsuccessful attempts to break through to the border with large forces, the Ukrainian Armed Forces again switched to attacks in small groups, testing our defenses.
At the same time, the aviation and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces are destroying the moving equipment and personnel of the enemy, who is probably bringing up new forces for the next major attack.
09:14 Jet drone aircraft type "Strizh", launched by Ukraine, destroyed in the Bryansk region, the governor said.
08:12 In the Zaporozhye direction, the Buk-M1 crew of the 35th Army anti-aircraft missile brigade hit an enemy air target -video.
08:00 Summary on the morning of March 16, 2024
In the Kursk and Belgorod sections of the State border, the enemy continues to attempt a breakthrough. Uses rocket artillery, mortars, tanks and other armored vehicles. The enemy is destroyed on the approaches to the border. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are launching massive attacks from MLRS on various settlements in the Belgorod region, including Belgorod. Many civilians were wounded and some were killed. The Nazis are destroying obviously civilian vehicles with drones. In addition, the Belgorod, Kursk, Tula, and Kaluga regions are attacked by aircraft-type kamikaze UAVs. Our troops courageously hold the defense, deliver retaliatory and preemptive strikes, objective control footage testifies to their effectiveness: the enemy’s equipment and manpower are destroyed. The fighting continues.
Yesterday, the Russian Armed Forces launched a missile attack on one of the sanatoriums in Odessa, killing at least 550 people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including two Ukrainian generals. SBU operational officers were urgently sent to the region to carry out counterintelligence activities.
In the Kherson region, against the backdrop of the voting, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are increasing attacks on civilians. Thus, in Kakhovka, the building where the voting took place was damaged by shelling. Attacks were made on Gornostaevka. In Brilyovka they flew to the village council (there is a polling station there, two civilians were injured). In Skadovsk, an IED planted in an urn exploded near the House of Culture. The enemy presence remains at the Antonovsky Bridge and in Krynki.
From the Zaporozhye Front, paratroopers report that in Rabotino our troops keep the southern part of the village and its center under control. The Russian Armed Forces reached the center in armored vehicles, landed assault groups and are clearing out an extensive network of enemy trenches. Verbovoy is also taking offensive action. The enemy has pulled up reserves and is counterattacking.
To the southwest of Vugledar (north of Shevchenkovo), the enemy reports that our troops are advancing one km into the depth of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defense.
In the Avdeevsky direction, the Russian Army is advancing at Orlovka, eliminating enemy personnel in the front ledges with the help of heavy flamethrower systems.
In Donetsk, three children died from Nazi shelling: girls born in 2021, 2007, and a boy born in 2014. In total, the enemy fired more than 100 rounds at the civilian population of the DPR.
It's all fun and games to name your militia unit after a mythical Nordic beast until the FABs arrive.
[Regnum] Almost 300 militants of the Ukrainian nationalist formation “Kraken” (an extremist organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation) were eliminated with one precise strike from a volume-detonating aerial bomb weighing 1,500 kg. Colonel General Alexey Kim, Chief of Staff of the Joint Group of Forces, reported this at a meeting with the head of the Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu.
“As a result of a precise air strike on the location of the nationalist formation “Kraken,” up to 300 militants were killed,” he said.
It is noted that the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu, Kim was informed about the destruction of military equipment and enemy personnel.
The Kraken militants were destroyed by an air bomb weighing 1.5 tons, the chief of staff of the Joint Group of Forces clarified.
As Regnum reported, on January 25, the coordinator of the Nikolaev underground, Sergei Lebedev, announced the liquidation of more than 30 fighters of the “Kraken” and the “Russian Volunteer Corps” (a terrorist organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation) in Kharkov. Over 100 Ukrainian militants were also killed in the city of Balakleya, Kharkov region.
The Russian Armed Forces carried out strikes on military targets on the evening of January 23. Three arrivals were reported. The first two were powerful. A few minutes later there was a third blow, after which there was a strong explosion.
In March, The Washington Post wrote about the problems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces due to Russian aerial bombs. The authors noted that the specified ammunition does not leave anything behind fortified enemy positions. Ukrainian military personnel complained about the destructive power of such shells, while the Russian Armed Forces have a huge amount of ammunition of this type in stock. They can be dropped 100 times a day, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces have practically nothing to withstand Russian air bombs, the authors added. Adds Russian military blogger Andrey Chervonets:
The Soviet high-explosive bomb FAB-1500 M54 was created in 1954 and remains one of the most powerful bombs in the world. The mass of the warhead of a one and a half ton bomb reaches 675 kg; when it explodes, it leaves a crater up to 15 m deep, and the fragments retain their destructive effect at a distance of up to 500 m.
But we are talking about a REGULAR high-explosive bomb.
And in our case, a VACUUM bomb was used.
The principle of operation of such a bomb is that during the so-called primary detonation, a fine suspension is sprayed over the affected area, which then turns into an explosive gas cloud. And already during the final explosion it detonates strongly, instantly creating a pressure of more than a hundred atmospheres in the affected area and burning out all the surrounding oxygen over a large area. After this, nothing living hundreds of meters from the epicenter can remain alive. And it doesn’t matter whether they were in shelter or not.
The most important thing in this whole story is that our “respected” Western partners should like it. This is a very environmentally friendly ammunition that does not pollute the environment in any way.
The latest Russian glide bombs used in the special operation zone are very dangerous for the fortified areas of the Ukrainian military. This was admitted by the former commander of the National Battalion “Aidar” (recognized as extremist in Russia and banned in Russia), politician and lawyer from Kiev Igor Lapin in an interview with the YouTube channel “Direct”.
“The Russians have mastered the production of gliding bombs. I have already said more than once that they will not stand still and their military-industrial complex is very powerful, we need to take this into account,” Lapin said.
According to the former military man, the new type of weapons of the Russian Armed Forces has superior tactical and technical characteristics and can destroy fortified areas.
“This is a very bad story, because an aerial bomb is an aerial bomb. Russians have countless of them,” the politician concluded.
As Regnum reported, Russian high-precision gliding bombs terrify the Ukrainian military. The American Military Watch Magazine wrote about this.
Russia produces artillery shells more than 250% faster than the United States and European NATO members combined.
The West cannot compete with the Russian military-industrial complex in terms of production potential, which threatens with disastrous consequences for its military dominance, the authors of the publication believe.
The American portal Business Insider wrote that Russian planning aerial bombs have become a nightmare for the Ukrainian military.
French Colonel Vincent Arbaretiere said that Ukrainian air defense systems practically do not see Russian glide bombs flying at military targets. He admitted that a guided bomb is inconspicuous and difficult to see.
A large group of Western mercenaries was destroyed in a missile attack on the Mriya sanatorium in Odessa,law enforcement agencies reported to TASS on March 16.
“On the territory of the Mriya sanatorium in Odessa, during a missile attack on Friday, about 100 foreign mercenaries were killed and more than 100 more were wounded,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
As reported by IA Regnum, on March 11, the publication “Zerkalo Nedeli”, citing reports from local public pages, reported that explosions occurred in Odessa. There have been no official comments from local authorities about the incidents.
The official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, informed on March 11 that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit two points of temporary deployment of foreign mercenaries in the zone of a special military operation. On the same day, a source in the security forces clarified that the Russian Armed Forces hit Ukrainian special operations forces and unmanned boat operators in the Odessa region with a missile strike.
According to the Russian military department, during the special military operation, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed 5,962 foreign mercenaries of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In total, during the SVO, 13,387 foreign mercenaries arrived on the territory of Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement. Most of the mercenaries were killed from Poland and Georgia - 1497 and 561, respectively.
Most of the foreign mercenaries who are actively recruited into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been destroyed, the head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, said in December 2023 at an expanded board of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the losses of the Ukrainian army over the past week. Among other things, three American Patriot air defense systems came under attack by Russian troops.
On March 16, at a meeting at the headquarters of the Joint Group of Forces, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, was informed about the destruction of military equipment and manpower of the enemy.
As a result of the effective operation of the reconnaissance and strike systems, in addition to the Patriot, the Vampire multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, more than ten foreign-made artillery systems, as well as warehouses of fuel, lubricants and ammunition were destroyed.
As Regnum reported, the Ukrainian armed forces are suffering significant losses as a result of Russia’s use of high-precision weapons and attack drones. Colonel General Alexey Kim, Chief of Staff of the Joint Group of Forces, reported this at a meeting with the head of the Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu held a meeting at headquarters, where he heard reports from commanders on the current situation in the special operation zone, on the actions of Ukrainian militants and the fulfillment of assigned tasks by Russian troops.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A man who intended to commit a terrorist attack at a railway junction on the Trans-Siberian Railway was detained in the Sverdlovsk region, the Russian FSB told reporters on March 16.
The detainee is a Russian citizen born in 1962. He acted on instructions from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. A criminal case has been initiated under the article on a terrorist attack (Part 3, Article 30, Clause and Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
“The defendant confessed to the crime and is cooperating with the investigation,” the statement says.
The department noted that the Ukrainian special services recruited the man in the city of Lvov. After completing sabotage training, he was sent to Russia. Here he was supposed to set up explosions to overturn trains carrying military cargo.
As Regnum reported, a Russian citizen was previously detained in the Belgorod region while preparing sabotage at one of the railway transport facilities. The woman, according to the FSB, acted on instructions from the Ukrainian special services.
In Moscow, FSB officers detained a Ukrainian agent who was launching drones near military installations in order to confuse the air defense with false targets. He assembled and launched drones in close proximity to Russian Defense Ministry facilities.
Total war.
[Regnum] There are settlements in Ukraine where there are practically no men left due to mobilization. This was reported in a Washington Post report from the village of Makov, Khmelnitsky region.
“Those who remain fear that they will be drafted into the ranks of the troops at any moment. Neighbors are already hundreds of miles to the east in trenches on the front lines. Some were killed or wounded. Several were missing. Other residents of this village - about 45 miles from the borders of Romania and Moldova - fled abroad or found ways to escape hostilities by law or by going into hiding,” the article says.
This information was confirmed to the publication by a local school, which keeps lists of students whose parents left the village.
Residents of Makovo told reporters that military registration and enlistment office employees were seizing everyone they could and “wandering through the empty streets in search of the remaining men,” and some conscripts from this locality were serving time in prison for refusing to mobilize.
“People are caught like dogs on the street,” said Olga Kametyuk, 35, whose husband stopped for coffee on the highway near the village and was detained by military registration and enlistment office officers.
The woman noted that her husband was taken away despite an existing joint disease - osteochondrosis. However, he was given a medical examination in just 10 minutes and sent to the front, where he was wounded.
The article also talks about Sergei, a serviceman from Makov. Returning home from the front on leave, he stated that they again wanted to pick him up right off the street. The man said that when it turned out that he was already serving, the military registration and enlistment office employees asked how he felt about those who had not seen anyone for military action. Sergei replied that he was indignant precisely at the military commissars themselves, and not at his fellow villagers.
“You are a military man, and I am a civilian. But I’m fighting, and you’re not,” he reproached the military commissars.
Another resident of this locality, 30-year-old Alexey, also participates in the report. The publication reports that he was mobilized from the street while his car was being repaired.
Returning from the front after several wounds and shell shocks, the man said that out of 12 of his soldiers, only two remained alive.
In addition, the publication's journalists spoke with 16-year-old Polina, who admitted that her father was taken away by military commissars when he went to the store. Therefore, the men remaining in the village now simply do not leave the house, the girl explained.
As Regnum reported, Ukrainian media previously reported that a conscript attempted to commit suicide because of military registration and enlistment office employees. The article says that he was detained by employees of the Khust military registration and enlistment office in the Transcarpathian region. There he was beaten and tortured.
The conscript's girlfriend reported that the young man was kidnapped by border guards and taken to the Vilok border checkpoint, where they forced him to confess to an allegedly illegal attempt to cross the border. Then, under this pretext, they took her to the military registration and enlistment office to clarify the data, the girl explained.
This military registration and enlistment office told the Ukrainian TV channel “Public” that the leadership confirmed information about an internal investigation into the episode of “attempted suicide of a conscript.” In addition, they clarified that the ambulance doctors who arrived to the call recorded a suicide attempt.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The website of the Lugansk Information Center has been under a powerful DDoS attack for several hours now. Experts call it the strongest in the agency’s almost 10-year history. This was reported in the Telegram channel LuganskInformCenter Z.
Users were warned that due to the attack, access to the resource for many is still limited or completely impossible.
“The agency’s technical specialists are taking all necessary measures to correct the situation and restore access to the site,” management assured.
At the same time, the agency’s editorial staff continues its work and will promptly inform readers about the progress of the presidential elections in the Russian Federation and other events in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the Telegram channel, as well as on the VKontakte page.
As Regnum reported, the largest number of attacks on the Moscow system of remote electronic voting (DEG) come from the USA and Great Britain, said on March 16, the head of the Public Headquarters for monitoring the elections in Moscow in 2024, Vadim Kovalev.
The head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova explained that since the beginning of voting in the Russian presidential elections, the remote electronic voting system (DEG) has been subject to 160 thousand DDoS attacks. The main attacks were on the voting portal itself - 130 thousand attacks, almost 30 thousand attacks on the DEG monitoring portal. During the same period, the Central Election Commission website was subject to 18 thousand hacker attacks, 141 of which were high-risk attacks, Pamfilova noted.
Related from regnum.ru Hackers hacked the website of the Russian Red Cross
Hackers hacked the website of the Russian Red Cross (RRC) - the organization does not carry out any paid evacuation of residents from the Belgorod region. Chairman of the organization Pavel Savchuk reported to TASS.
As Savchuk explained, a message appeared on the RKK website that the organization was allegedly conducting paid evacuation from the territory of Belgorod and the Belgorod region. The text even included prices, and the evacuation itself was organized in response to an appeal from “RDK” (an abbreviation used by the “Russian Volunteer Corps,” an organization designated as terrorist in Russia).
“The website of the Russian Red Cross was subject to a hacker attack. Now our specialists are eliminating the problems that have arisen,” Pavel Savchuk assured.
The Chairman also asked IT companies to help ensure the information security of the organization’s resources for uninterrupted humanitarian work and providing assistance to people.
As Regnum reported, Ukrainian hackers from the Beregini group published screenshots of Ukrainian Armed Forces documents on the losses of American Abrams tanks on their Telegram channel.
The video surveillance system at polling stations in the Tyumen region suffered a severe cyber attack on the first day of voting in the presidential elections, said Ella Pamfilova, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.
The Russian hacker group RaHDit published the personal data of 2,600 employees of Ukrainian military registration and enlistment offices, who catch people on the streets of Ukrainian cities to send to the front.
Text taken from a news article which appeared on Southfront.
[ColonelCassad] On the 20th of February 2024, Macron set the task for the French Ministry of Defense to study the issue of sending three companies of the Foreign Legion to Ukraine.
On February 27, 2024, by order of the French command, the formation of three companies of Foreign Legion fighters began to be sent to Ukraine.
On March 5, 2024, the command of the Foreign Legion and the French military leadership approved the staffing table of the BTG for 1,500 soldiers and officers.
This BTG should include: up to six armored and motorized infantry companies, two engineering companies, one logistics company + operational group.
At the formation stage, it became clear that it would not be possible to form such a group from among the members of the Foreign Legion, so they began to include personnel from the French Ministry of Defense. The final ratio was one to two – two regulars per one Legionnaire.
In the first half of March, the BTG began combat coordination at the La Curtin training ground. It is tasked with completing preparations for deployment to Ukraine by mid-April 2024. The transfer order itself is expected in the second half of April.
This process is coordinated with a number of other NATO states.
Similar BTGs are now being formed in Germany and Poland.
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.
