UPDATES: War In Ukraine (Day 17 & 18)
13 March
In the early hours of the morning Russian missiles struck a Ukrainian base in West Ukraine, just 10 miles from the Polish border. The attack on what is believed to be a training base reportedly killed 35. The attack follows Kremlin warnings thst Western aid will be considered a valid military target.
President Zelensky has said that nearly 125,000 people have been evacuated using humanitarian corridors. With the focus now on Mariupol. He said “our diplomatic effort is focused on aid to reach the city.”
Ukrainian forces are reported to be making localised counterattacks in northeastern Ukraine to relieve pressure on Kharkiv and threaten Russia’s extended supply lines. The besieged southern port of Mariupol continues to hold out and yesterday the Ukrainian military claimed it has rendered 31 Russian battalion tactical groups combat ineffective.
This feed timestamps using local Eastern European Time (EET).
Updates:
12:10AM (EET) – The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reports that the settlements of Uman, Ivano-Frankivsk and Starychi have been bombed by Russian aircraft while they claim Iskander missiles have been fired from Belarus.
6:10PM (EET) – Earlier today Alex Bornyakov, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, posted that so far “Crypto assets proved extremely helpful in facilitation of funding flows to the Amed Forces of Ukraine.” sharing a infographic showing the equipment that has been brought with crypto curency donations, including 5,500 bullet proof vests.
Today, Ukraine also announced their intention to launch an NFT to help raise further funds.
4:12PM (EET) – Reports from Russian news agency RIA suggest that Moscow and Kyiv have made significant progress in their negotiations. Leonid Slutsky, a member of the Russian delegation and head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told Russian press that “according to my personal expectations, this progress can develop in the very next few days into a unified position of both delegations, into documents for signing.”
4:04PM (EET) – The New York Times has released a statement on the death of Brent Renaud, a videographer killed in Irpin earlier today, stating he was not on assignment with NYT, as was believed due to the NYT press card found on his person.
3:40PM (EET) – OSINT analysts Oryx have updated their verified list of Russian losses.
3:10PM (EET) – The Russian Ministry of Defense has taken a page from Ukraine’s book and shared some footage of a claimed drone strike on a Ukrainian multiple rocket launch system battery. As with the Ukrainian drone footage, it has not yet been independently verified.
2:45PM (EET) – The Ukrainian government has shared video from reported protests in Kherson. There are claims that Russian occupying forces opened fire on civilians. These claims have not yet been independently verified.
2:38PM (EET) – A New York Times videographer Brent Renaud has been killed in Irpin.
2:30PM (EET) – Presidential advisor Mikhail Podoylak has shared an update on Ukraine’s negotiations with Russia. Stating Ukraine will not give up its demands of a ceasefire and Russian withdrawal.
2:20PM (EET) – Russian news agency RIA has reported claims that Forces of the Luhansk People’s Republic advancing on Popasnaya discovered the remains of massacred civilians. The article, based on posts from the Separatist militia’s Telegram, reports the Ukrainian’s used locals as human shields. These serious claims have not been independently verified.
1:50PM (EET) – Vice President of the EU Commission, Josep Borrell Fontelles, has strongly condemned the kidnapping of the mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne by Russian armed forces.
9AM (EET) – Earlier this morning at 5.45AM local time Russia struck a base in west Ukraine. The strike on the base in Yavoriv, less than 10 miles from the Polish border, has reportedly killed 35 people. Previously a base which housed NATO training operations it may now be a hub for the distribution of Western aid.
8:52AM (EET) – The UK Ministry of Defence has released their intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine. They note Russian forces are attempting advances around Kyiv and Mykolaiv.
6AM (EET) – The Institute for the Study of War suggests that “Ukrainian counterattacks in northeastern Ukraine are likely forcing Russia to redeploy forces away from offensive operations toward Kyiv to consolidate its long line of communication” in their latest report.
12 March
Russia continues to bombard the besieged Ukrainian cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv, Summy and Chernihiv but reports suggest they efforts to advance have largely been stalled. The Russian Ministry of Defense, however, claims small but significant advances. The situation on the southern front appears to have stabilised with Russian advances, from Crimea, toward Mykolayiv and Zaporizhya halted.
Yesterday the Kremlin announced plans on to deploy foreign fighters, including up to 16,000 Syrian fighters, to Ukraine. There have also been suggestions of ‘volunteers’ from the Central African Republic. This comes in response to the flow of foreign volunteers to Ukraine’s foreign legion.
Russia appears to be attempting to draw Belarus into an active role in the war. This would ease Russia’s problems with reserves and likely open up a fresh front in the north. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed yesterday that Russian aircraft conducted an attempted false-flag attack on Belarusian territory. Belarus has not yet actively mobilised.
If you missed our coverage of the ongoing conflict from yesterday, you can find it here.
This feed timestamps using local Eastern European Time (EET).
Updates:
8:50PM (EET) – President Biden has announced a further $200 million in aid for Ukraine. To include anti-armor, anti-aircraft systems, and small arms but the Pentagon has not immediate commented what types of weapons would be included.
5:55PM (EET) – OSINT analysts Oryx have updated their verified list of Ukrainian losses including a 2 T-64BVs.
5:30PM (EET) – Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy has announced nearly 1 million people are without electricity.
4:50PM (EET) – Nathan Ruser, an ASPI Cyber Centre researcher, has shared his map visualisations of Russia’s progress.
3:10PM (EET) – It appears Russia has deployed loitering munitions made by Kalashnikov Concern.
2:45PM (EET) – OSINT analysts Oryx have updated their verified list of Russian losses with another Russian helicopter downed and a T-80 captured.
12:55 (EET) – Max Seddon, of the FT , reports that Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has said Russia will target NATO military aid which is entering Ukraine predominantly via Poland.
12:50PM (EET) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has shared a map showing the flow of the 2.5 million refugees who have fled Ukraine.
8:10AM (EET) – The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has shared its daily situation report. It claims that 31 Russian tactical Battalion groups have been rendered combat ineffective so far during the fighting. It also notes Russian logistical issues and poor morale. These claims have not yet been independently verified.
7:55AM (EET) – The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has shared footage said to be from a TB2 strike on Russian command and control vehicles. The video has not yet been independently verified.
7:25AM (EET) – The Russian Ministry of Defense has shared a video update on its operations. It claims thst Separatist forces have advanced 8km, while Russian forces advanced 11km. It goes on to claim that 2 Bayraktar TB2 drones have been shot down and numerous air defense (including an S300 and a Buk-M1) systems have been destroyed. In total they claim to have destroyed 121 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1067 tanks and armored fighting vehicles, 114 multiple rocket launcher systems and “a large number of MANPADS.” These claims have not been independently verified.
6:48AM (EET) – The Institute for the Study of War has shared its latest appraisal of the situation in Ukraine. They suggest that Russian forces have taken another operational pause after attempts to advance were largely repulsed.