These are important developments on the 1,120th day of Russia’s Ukrainian War.
Here is a summary of the major events as of Thursday, March 20th.
Fineting
Regional authorities in the Smie region of northeastern Ukraine said the Russian drone attack damaged two hospitals, killing a 29-year-old man and three others were injured in another attack on home building. Kyiv region governor Mykola Kalashnyk said the Kremlin drone had injured several homes near the Ukrainian capital, causing a 60-year-old man to be injured. Ukrainian state railway network Ukruzariznitya said the first strike was hit just hours after Moscow’s troops attacked its power system twice in Dnipro city, and Russian President Vladimir Putin carried out a 30-day suspension in an attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The second attack injured four people. “Russia is attacking private infrastructure and people – people now,” said Andri Yamak, chief of Ukraine’s Voldimi Zelensky. The Kremlin has argued for a defense unit that has halted the drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and fired seven drones following a call between President Donald Trump and Putin. The Kiev military said the air defense units defeated 72 of the 145 Russian drones released overnight in Ukraine. Electronic warfare reported 56 more drones were “lost.” Zelensky said 40 of these drones were released in Ukraine just hours after a call between President Trump and Putin. Zelenskyy also said that Moscow has launched over 1,300 guided bombs, eight missiles and around 66 long-range strike drones on Kyiv since the first round of its ceasefire talk in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the units destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones overnight, of which 35 were in the Kursk region. One of the attacks in the southern Krasnodar region ignited a small fire at an oil depot in the village of Kabkazkaya, authorities said. The Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine of trying to “derail” the limited ceasefire agreement, and denounced it with a “deliberate” attack on oil reservoirs. At least one Russian soldier was killed in Ukrainian artillery fire in the Krasnoyarzki area of the Belgorod region, Belgorod Gorilla Viacheslav Gladkov said four other people were injured. Five Ukrainian soldiers have been sentenced to up to 17 years in prison by the Moscow court for accusations of “terrorism” for their involvement in Kiev’s invasion into the Kursk region of Russia.
Ceasefire
President Trump said he and Zelensky spoke at length on a call about his previous discussion with Putin. The White House said Zelensky agreed to a partial ceasefire and called for additional air defense assistance. The White House also said Washington has moved beyond the previously negotiated rare minerals and dealing with Kiev, and is now fully focused on securing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Trump also proposed that the US take over Ukrainian power plants to ensure the safety of its critical facilities, Washington said. Zelensky accused Putin of rejecting the US proposal of a complete ceasefire despite public declarations to oppose, urging the global community to stop Moscow’s attempts to extend the war with Kiev. Zelensky also expressed confidence in Ukraine’s European allies after calls with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer. “We’re constantly communicating, and I’m sure there’s no betrayal from our partners,” Zelenskyy said. Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkov will continue to talk to Fox News about Moscow’s war with Ukraine, led by national security advisers Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to meet Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. Witkov said peace negotiations cover “general energy and infrastructure.”
Military
The German government is set to release $3.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine after Berlin’s retired Olaf Scholz previously blocked additional aid, Reuters reports. Russia and Ukraine traded 372 soldiers in prisoner exchanges mediated by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian Ministry of Defense said. Moscow returned 175 prisoners of war and 22 more seriously injured personnel, while Kiev handed over 175 soldiers.
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