Ukraine Daily

Tuesday, March 22

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Russia completes 300 aircraft sorties over Ukraine in 24 hours. A senior U.S. official said on March 21 that while the frequency of military aircraft sorties by Russia has increased, it has still not achieved aerial supremacy. While Ukrainian military aircraft sorties have also increased, numbers have not been disclosed.

Ukrainian troops liberate Makariv. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on March 21 that “the Ukrainian flag was raised over the town of Makariv” and Russian forces have been pushed back. Makariv is located 60 kilometres west from Kyiv.

Mariupol authorities: Russian invaders fire at cars evacuating children. Mariupol city council said that two families evacuating by car from the besieged city were shot at by Russian forces. At least two children have been wounded and are in serious condition. Besides the cars, 20 buses with people left the city on March 21.

Ukraine accuses Russia of kidnapping children from occupied Donbas. According to the Foreign Ministry, 2,389 children from Russian-controlled Donbas were “illegally deported” to Russia. “The facts of abduction of children, as well as other facts of crimes of the Russian occupiers against civilians in Ukraine, are being investigated by law enforcement agencies,” the ministry reported.

Over 800 babies born in Kyiv since Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine. Deputy Head of the Kyiv City Administration Mykola Povoroznyk said on March 21 that, of the babies born, 427 are boys and 380 are girls.

Read the Kyiv Independent’s field report on how ​​Ukraine swaps living soldiers for dead Russians.

Preliminary estimates of mined areas in Ukraine at least 82,525 square kilometres. This is slightly larger than the size of Scotland. The Ukrainian De-miners Association reported the preliminary number on March 21 and said that the contaminated areas will be subject to humanitarian de-mining after the war.

Zoo asks for assistance as animals ‘slowly dying’ under occupation. Mykhailo Pinchuk, Owner of Ukraine’s XII Months Zoo, asked for a green corridor because the blown-up bridge has left the institution isolated and there is not enough food to feed the animals. He said that humanitarian aid has not reached the zoo and emphasized that all 300 animals “are doomed” if the green corridor doesn’t work out.

US, UK say Putin used hypersonic missile to ‘detract from stalled invasion.’ U.K. Air Vice-Marshall Mick Smeath said that the hypersonic missile launched into western Ukraine on March 19 is “unlikely to materially affect the outcome of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine.” Similarly, U.S. President Joe Biden said the missile was launched because Putin’s “back is against the wall.”

Read the Kyiv Independent’s exclusive on how residents of a Kyiv building hit by Russian missile come to ruins of their homes.

Authorities detain Kyiv man for sharing footage of Ukrainian military on TikTok. In February, the man posted a video showing Ukrainian military vehicles parked near the shopping mall in northern Kyiv. On March 20, Russians shelled and destroyed the mall, killing 8 people.

8,057 people evacuate using humanitarian corridors on March 21. According to Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, seven out of eight corridors worked out as planned; 3,000 people evacuated from Mariupol, a 400,000-city besieged by Russians.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Russian shelling kills Holocaust survivor in Kharkiv. Boris Romantschenko, 96, who survived the Nazi Holocaust during World War II was killed during shelling in his apartment block in the eastern city of Kharkiv. The Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation said it was “deeply disturbed” by Romantschenko’s death and said he had “worked intensely on the memory of of Nazi crimes.”

At least 8 killed by Russian missile attack on Kyiv shopping mall which was hit around 11 p.m. on March 20.

Russia attacks Zhytomyr Oblast with Grad rocket launchers, 4 people killed. According to Zhytomyr Oblast Governor Vitalii Bunechko, three soldiers and one civilian were killed in the Selets village in what was likely Russia’s first attack on Zhytomyr Oblast with Grads.

Ukraine’s military: Over 15,000 Russian troops killed since Feb. 24. As of 10:30 a.m. on March 21, Ukraine’s military have also reported destroying 1,535 armored personnel carriers, 498 tanks, 969 vehicles, 240 artillery pieces, 45 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 80 launch rocket systems, 97 planes, 121 helicopters, 60 fuel tanks, 13 pieces of special equipment, 24 UAVs, and 3 boats.

International response

Hungary opposes no-fly zone over Ukraine, embargo on Russian energy. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on March 21 condemned EU sanctions on Russian energy, according to Hirado news agency, saying it “threatens the security of energy supply to Hungary.” He also spoke out against sending peacekeepers to Ukraine and the establishment of a no-fly zone, citing the risk of war.

Pentagon: US, other nations discuss provision of ‘long-range air defense’ to Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on March 21 that the U.S. is undergoing “active consultations” with other nations to provide Ukraine with weapons that they are “comfortable using.”

Toronto renames area in front of Russian consulate ‘Free Ukraine Square.’ Toronto Mayor John Tory said on March 20 that he hopes everyone who walks into the Russian consulate is reminded of “the atrocity of what is going on with this illegal, murderous invasion.” He said the mounted sign is a symbol of Toronto’s solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian-Canadians.

China to provide $1.57 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country will deliver another batch of humanitarian support to Ukraine “based on the development of the situation and actual needs.” Beijing provided its first batch worth $790,000 earlier in March. China didn’t support sanctions against Russia and abstained from condemning Moscow at the UN.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Asami Terajima, Thaisa Semenova, Anna Myroniuk, Illia Ponomarenko, Teah Pelechaty, Olena Goncharova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Olga Rudenko, Toma Istomina and Brad LaFoy.

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