WAR IN UKRAINE: March 26, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 396
Ukraine's military says it has seen no letup in Russian operations in the Bakhmut area, despite claims by some analysts that Moscow's monthslong offensive is weakening. Meanwhile, a Russian strike on the town of Kostyantynivka in the eastern region of Donetsk has killed at least five people, Ukraine's emergency service says - RFE/RL
The British Defense Ministry said Saturday in its daily intelligence report on Ukraine that Russia is likely conducting “a more defensive operational design after inconclusive results from its attempts to conduct a general offensive since January 2023” in its campaign in Ukraine - VOA
The International Committee of the Red Cross says some 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, many who are older or have disabilities, were clinging on in grisly circumstances in Bakhmut and surrounding settlements. "They are living in very dire conditions, spending almost the entire days in intense shelling in the [underground] shelters," said Umar Khan of the ICRC, speaking to a news briefing via video link from Dnipro, Ukraine. "All you see is people pushed to the very limits of their existence and survival and resilience” - VOA
The United Nations has expressed deep concerned over what it says were summary executions of prisoners of war by both Russian and Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a telephone conversation with Presidential Adviser Bonne. According to Chinese readout "Emmanuel Bonne expressed his appreciation for the positive role played by the Chinese side in persuading peace and promoting talks. On the issue of Ukraine, France does not support confrontation betw the camps. France & China both hope to end the crisis through political & negotiated means. France is ready to work together w/ China to promote a ceasefire to stop the war and find a peaceful solution."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, his office said. The call addressed the steps to strengthen the Türkiye-Russia relations, as well as the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war. President Erdoğan thanked President Putin for his positive stance regarding the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. President Erdoğan highlighted the importance Türkiye attaches to the immediate cessation of the Russia-Ukraine conflicts through negotiations. President Erdoğan added that the two countries could take further steps based on the economic cooperation agreed upon in Sochi.
Required reading…
The View from Here
Putin’s work-around for sanctions
One year into the war, Moscow’s wins on the battlefield are far from what Putin expected them to be: there’s talk of a second Ukrainian counter-offensive, and Kyiv’s U.A.V.’s are regularly penetrating Russian airspace, making a mockery of the country’s lauded air defenses. But if there’s one thing that works, it’s Moscow’s desire to continue the good: the luxury cars, pretty dresses, diet colas, and Avatar: The Way of Water find their way to Moscow, no matter what.
Read the full Air Mail article here