Timeline: day 23 of Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression
Today, March 18, Russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for twenty-three days. We're reporting about all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.
What is today?
Key points.
On March 17, the air defense forces of Ukraine destroyed 14 air targets of the aggressor: 7 planes, 1 helicopter, 3 UAVs, and 3 cruise missiles. The command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces reported this.
Yesterday, Ukrainian fighters eliminated the commander of the 331st Kostroma Airborne Regiment, Sergei Sukharev. In 2014, Sukharev commanded the battalion tactical group of the same 331st Regiment, which shot down columns of Ukrainian soldiers near Ilovaisk. Boomerang returned to Ilovaisk.
The Pentagon has recorded a record set by the Armed Forces in the use of Javelin anti-tank systems: out of 112 launches, 100 accurate hits!
The Ukrainian military destroyed the Russian Tiger with a high-ranking official and an armored personnel carrier with a landing party, according to the Special Operations Forces command.
Total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 18.03:
- personnel – about 14200 people,
- tanks – 450 units,
- armored combat vehicles / APV – 1448 units,
- artillery systems – 205 units,
- MLRS – 72 units,
- anti-aircraft warfare systems – 43 units,
- aircraft – 93 units,
- helicopters – 112 units,
- vehicles – 879 units,
- boats – 3 units,
- fuel tanks – 60,
- UAV of operational-tactical level – 12.
- Special equipment – 11.
Data are being updated. The calculation is complicated by the high intensity of hostilities.
"There are two finals," Kuleba said of the end of the war in Ukraine. "There is no need to make any drama, but we must all remember that in any war there are two finals. The first final is an unconditional total defeat of one of the parties. This is what the Russians wanted to impose on us from the very beginning, The second final is an agreement. The agreement is a search and fixation of mutually acceptable solutions," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
After talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President Zelenskyy said that the European Commission's opinion on Ukraine's application for EU membership would be ready in a few months.
The NBU reports: UAH 26 million remains on the special account to help the army; further assistance is needed. In total, the National Bank has already collected and transferred almost UAH 12.2 billion to defense needs.
You can help with these account details. Let's join! Together we are a force!
Humanitarian corridors
Reintegration Minister Vereshchuk announced the humanitarian corridors to open on March 18:
- from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. A convoy of buses with a fuel truck continued to move from the village of Vasylivka,
- from Sumy, Trostianets, Lebedyn, Konotop, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka to Poltava,
- humanitarian cargo is planned to Balaklia and Izium in the Kharkiv region. Also, the delivery of aid to the cities of the Kherson and Luhansk regions is planned for tomorrow.
"Because of the shelling, the corridor for humanitarian aid from the city of Kharkiv to the city of Vovchansk did not work. We continue to work on coordinating routes for the delivery of humanitarian aid to all besieged and blocked cities," Vereshchuk added.
You can clarify the information about the humanitarian corridors or people who are in the disaster zone without communication at the numbers of the National Information Bureau, which was opened yesterday: 📞 16-48; 044-287-81-65.
Izium. "Green corridor" is again nonexistent due to shelling, according to the head of the City Council Maksym Strelnyk. Nevertheless, the authorities, with the territorial defense, deliver humanitarian aid to the villages of the Izium district and evacuate people from there.
14:00 – an evacuation convoy of buses from Zaporizhzhia arrived in Berdiansk. There was also a fuel truck with fuel for private cars, on which Mariupol residents are being evacuated. After refueling, private cars will leave for Zaporizhzhia in a convoy.
15:00 – Zelenskyy: we managed to save more than 35 thousand people from Mariupol, 90% of which the Russians destroyed.
As of 15:00, 560 cars, 2288 citizens, 53 buses, 1725 citizens left the Sumy region along the humanitarian corridor.
To the attention of the residents of Kherson City Territorial Community! The city authorities do not plan to take any measures to evacuate the population! Please use only official sources of information (Kherson City Council website, Kherson City Council telegram and Instagram channels, Facebook page).
22:30 – On March 18, 9,145 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors, Deputy Head of the OPU Tymoshenko said. Almost five thousand people left Mariupol for Zaporizhzhia, 1,124 of them children. More than 4,000 civilians were evacuated from Sumy Region.
In total, seven of the nine humanitarian corridors worked. Due to the violation of the ceasefire, the delivery of aid to Balaklia and Izium was disrupted.
According to Reintegration Minister Vereshchuk, on March 19 they will work on delivering aid to Kherson, Kharkiv, and Luhansk regions, as well as organizing the evacuation of people from the Kyiv region.
Ukraine's talks with Russia
Zelenskyy is ready to meet with Putin "even tomorrow," said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The Minister also explained in detail that the current meetings of the delegations of Ukraine and Russia had a number of issues that the negotiators cannot resolve on their own.
The United States is also not very optimistic: Blinken admitted that the states do not see any signs that Putin is ready to stop. At the moment, Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, show no signs of participating in responsible talks and ending Russia's bloody aggression against Ukraine.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
About financial aid, weapons, and volunteer fighters
The supply of US weapons to Ukraine lasts once a day or once every two days, and additional military aid will be transferred just as quickly, Psaki said.
The G7 foreign ministers agreed to increase humanitarian aid to Ukraine and called on other states to do so.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also promised to continue supplying NATO weapons to Ukraine.
The World Bank will allocate $100,000,000 to Ukraine to pay scholarships to university students.
Not only money but also people. Thus, a Belarusian volunteer battalion is going to Ukraine to help the Armed Forces. The fighters will help break through the blockade of Mariupol.
American director and producer Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, donated $1 million to humanitarian aid to Ukraine. They allocated money to several organizations, Variety writes.
Trains with humanitarian cargo weighing 30 tons arrived in Vinnytsia and Mykolaiv. According to the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant-General Serhiy Naiev, the humanitarian cargo consists of wheelchairs, medicines, baby food, and long-term lasting food. The cargo was transferred with the help of the International Association for the Support of Ukraine Charitable Foundation. Aid comes from Italy, Germany, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, and the United States.
13:00 – Ukraine received another 300 million euros of macro-financial assistance from the EU.
16:30 – Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova said that part of the assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine has already crossed the border. Markarova assured that it was not the last help Ukraine expects from the United States.
Professional tennis player from Switzerland Roger Federer has decided to donate $500,000 to help children affected by the war in Ukraine.
Israel has sent armored ambulances to Ukraine.
Infrastructure
During the week of the war, Russia's damage to Ukraine's infrastructure grew by at least $8.3 billion. As of March 17, that amount was 1.8 trillion hryvnias or $62.6 billion, according to an analysis by the Kyiv School of Economics.
From March 18, fuel prices will be reduced in Ukraine: the cost of diesel per liter will be five hryvnias less, gasoline will be cheaper more than seven hryvnias.
The President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Zahorodnii addressed the leadership of the International Association of Academies of Sciences: "The fire of Russian aircraft and artillery erases peaceful cities from the face of the earth, destroys civilian infrastructure: kindergartens, schools, hospitals, residential buildings. The bombing killed civilians and innocent children. Objects of scientific infrastructure, in particular the institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, and other cities of Ukraine, were also affected by the Russian shelling," the document reads.
It should be noted that the International Association of Academies of Sciences has not reacted in any way to the tragic events in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian military invasion.
Gazprom is using Ukrainian gas pipelines at full capacity, according to the Ukrainian gas transportation system. Through Ukraine, the company sends more than 105 million cubic meters of gas per day.
For comparison, in January Gazprom reduced the daily volume of gas transit through Ukraine to Europe to about 50 million cubic meters. This is the lowest figure since January 2020. This has led to a jump in energy prices.
Peaceful atom
Ukraine expects more decisive action from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Russians seizing nuclear facilities in Ukraine. This was stated by Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko on the air of the Priamyi TV channel.
"We would like clearer signals, clearer actions. In the context of what we expect: first, all troops must leave nuclear facilities. Second, a demilitarized zone must be formed around those facilities, in which no one has a right to come in. Third, workers must work in decent conditions," Halushchenko said.
News from abroad
US President Joe Biden will discuss Russia's war against Ukraine with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to The Wall Street Journal. The US president will call Xi Jinping on March 18. Biden is preparing to convey to Xi that "the consequences are possible if Beijing's support (to Russia) goes from words to deeds."
The Swedish Trade Union of Port Workers has announced a blockade of Russian ships. As a result, all unloading, towing and even mooring of Russian-related vessels will be blocked in Swedish ports.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala said that the Czech Republic can no longer accept refugees from Ukraine: the country has already accepted about 270 thousand Ukrainians. So there was still some free space for the night: the Prague authorities want to give part of the Russian embassy to Ukrainian refugees. This was reported by Czech Television.
Norway is taking the baton. They are ready to shelter about 30,000 Ukrainian refugees this year but are preparing for a situation in which up to 100,000 people may arrive.
Meanwhile, Poland's prime minister has announced the creation of an anti-Putin shield and the "de-Russification" of the country's economy.
А Болгарія оголосила 10 російських дипломатів персонами нон грата. Їм надали 72 години для виїзду з країни.
Латвія, Литва та Естонія теж висилають російських дипломатів. Їх звинувачують у підриві нацбезпеки та поширенні пропаганди.
And Bulgaria has declared 10 Russian diplomats persona non grata. They were given 72 hours to leave the country.
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are also sending Russian diplomats out. They are accused of undermining national security and spreading propaganda.
16:15 – In a video meeting, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Biden that the United States and China should not only develop bilateral relations but also assume international responsibility.
Russian lies don't get tired
Employees of the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine collected a selection of fresh fakes, manipulations, and disinformation "throws" that the enemy produced during March 17, 2022:
- The head of the radiation, chemical, and biological protection forces of the Russian Armed Forces held a briefing on US bio laboratories in Ukraine that infected birds with viruses and studied the ways of their migration to the territory of the Russian Armed Forces. Fake!
- The network of photos and videos of rescued orphans is accompanied by a call to "adopt them quickly" and the readiness of the Ukrainian authorities to hand them over to "good hands". Fake! Ukraine doesn't "distribute" orphans. If any assistance is required, this will be officially announced. At present, Ukraine has a simplified procedure, but not adoption, but guardianship or patronage.
- Information is spreading on the Internet that the Ukrainian authorities have left Mariupol. Fake! "Mariupol is a topic №1 for the President and diplomacy."
The occupiers shot a video allegedly distributing humanitarian aid in Lyptsi, Kharkiv region. "Pure montage and editing," the head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Sinehubov, reacted to a fake. "We see provocations when Russian TV channels filmed in Lyptsi, the fact of humanitarian aid distribution, the gym was filmed. There is no such gym in this settlement. This is pure editing with actors who are brought there specifically for comments and a certain picture."
More great and various sanctions!
In the Netherlands, sanctions have frozen Russian assets by more than 200 million euros, according to Reuters.
Australia has imposed sanctions on 11 Russian banks and government agencies. New Zealand is also imposing sanctions on Russia. The state will freeze the assets of Putin and 12 members of the Security Council.
Japan is also imposing new sanctions on individuals and companies from Russia.
Apple will not sell the new iPhone SE and other devices from the spring presentation in Russia.
Bank of New York Mellon, one of the oldest US banks, has suspended investments in Russian securities and donated $1 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine
According to Kuleba, the European Union is discussing the preparation of the fifth package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine.
14:00 – Russian and Belarusian diplomats were banned from entering the buildings of the European Parliament, said Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola. The occupier and his henchmen are now worse than lepers.
Paramount has ceased operations in Russia. The film company will also donate one million dollars to humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Lithuania has restricted the export of cash euros to Belarus and Russia. Now, individuals traveling to Belarus or Russia from Lithuania can carry no more than €60 per person.
Korean LG has announced the cessation of all supplies to Russia
To date, 220 companies have left the Russian market, and every day there are more and more of them, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The United States can lift many sanctions against Russia only if the Kremlin ends its war against Ukraine and restores its sovereignty, the State Department said.
Norway has joined several new EU sanctions against Russia. These include personal sanctions, as well as restrictions on the export of technology, goods, and services. Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Hewitfeld called the sanctions package the broadest the country has ever adopted.
What's in Russia?
The rating agency S&P downgraded Russia's rating to CC from CCC, as the owners of Russian bonds never received a payment. Russia is separated from the default rating by one step. According to the agency's scale, the CC rating means high vulnerability: the default has not yet occurred but is virtually certain.
The media write that in Russia they cannot print "rubles" because the paint and paper were supplied by Canada and Switzerland.
Manufacturers of hygiene products were more cautious. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation assures the Russians that pads and diapers will be enough for Russia for as long as 3 months: "Manufacturers have bought enough raw materials to avoid shortages," the ministry said. As you know, now due to the upheaval, these products have disappeared from store shelves in Russia, and hygiene products have risen in price by 40%.
The Russians hope in vain that in three months all sanctions will be lifted.
Mordor threatens Georgia: "If Georgia refuses to give Russian inspectors access to US Biolabs on its territory, Russia has every right to launch a missile strike on them," said Mikhail Aleksandrov, a leading expert at the MGIMO's Center for Military and Political Studies.
In Russia, the demand for antidepressants has quadrupled. From February 28 to March 6, their sales in pharmacies exceeded 525 million rubles, which is more than four times more than a year ago.
This is not surprising, because Russia has already suffered huge losses on all fronts. Ukrainian defenders destroy Russian soldiers. And the sanctions of European countries destroy the remnants of Russia's hopes for a good or at least normal life. The default has technically already taken place. We explain what this means.
"Any cargo that enters the territory of Ukraine, which we consider to be carrying weapons, will become a legitimate target," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. This is definitely a direct threat to Ukraine's western partners.
Kuleba's immediate reaction was not long in coming: Ukraine's foreign minister said Moscow would not decide what military assistance Ukraine could receive to resist the Russian invasion.
"Russia has never had any claims against the people of Ukraine," Lavrov said. Translated into human language: we kill you just because we like it.
Life considering hostilities
The validity of electronic signatures during martial law has been extended.
This was reported on the Facebook page of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. "Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) will be reissued automatically based on previously created keys. Therefore, it will be possible to continue signing documents online," the message reads.
The National Bank of Ukraine has recorded the sending of electronic fraudulent letters, allegedly on behalf of the NBU, Ukrainians are asked to transfer funds to help the Armed Forces in cryptocurrency. The following two fake addresses have been recorded:
Be vigilant!
From today, citizens will be able to register cars imported from abroad. This was reported in the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This requires the following documents:
- Passport
- TIN
- document for the vehicle
- document for the legality of the purchase of vehicles
- customs documents
- certificate of Compliance
At the first registration on the territory of Ukraine, it is obligatory to pay a fee to the Pension Fund.
The official website of the Center for National Resistance has been launched in Ukraine. The main purpose of the site sprotyv.mod.gov.ua is to support and coordinate all those who want to fight for the liberation of Ukraine from invaders.
And Ukrainians have created a mobile application that helps parents take care of the emotional and mental state of children during the war. The Hearty app prompts simple games and activities. It works offline and can be used even in shelters.
Kyiv
Kyiv suffered another blow from the enemy to a residential neighborhood in the Podilskyi district that was shelled. One person died, 19 were injured, including four children. 6 houses, kindergartens, and a school were damaged. Rescuers and medics are working on the ground.
We are closing the sky over the Kyiv region with our own forces! At about 8:15 a.m., in the Bucha district, air defense units of the Ground Forces of Ukraine shot down an enemy SU-34 fighter-bomber! The plane was shot down using a Stinger MANPADS. Catapulting of the crew was not noticed, the plane crashed in the temporarily occupied territory.
Kharkiv
In Kharkiv, the Russian occupiers fired on the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine. One of the sections of the academy was destroyed. According to the SES, 1 person was killed, 11 were injured and 1 was trapped. Fires were extinguished in two residential buildings. The information is being clarified.
Rescuers continue to put out the fire in the Barabashovo market, caused by shelling by Russian troops. "The fire that broke out on March 17 in one of the largest shopping centers in Kharkiv is still being put out. The area of the fire is about 7 hectares. Trade pavilions are burning and 2 residential buildings are partially damaged," the SES said.
10:00 – The fire on Barabashovo is localized.
14:00 – In the village of Zavody, as a result of shelling by the Russian Federation and the destruction of the house, a family of four people, a man, two women, and an 11-year-old boy, were killed, another woman was injured. Proceedings have been opened, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.
16:00 – 25 separate airborne Sicheslav brigade reports: Enemy equipment destroyed along with personnel!
19:00 – The occupiers released from captivity the village head of the Velykoburlutsk community Viktor Tereshchenko. According to Oleр Syneрubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Tereshchenko is in hospital. The man was abducted on March 17.
Odesa region
In the morning in the Odesa region, the Ukrainian military shot down a Russian cruise missile naval base, the South command.
The cyber police of the Odesa region exposed a traitor who passed information about Ukraine's military facilities to the occupiers. The attacker used messenger to transmit the coordinates of strategic objects to the invaders.
22:30 – The spokesperson of Odesa Regional Military Administration Serhii Bratchuk reports: in Odesa, enemy drones were destroyed by air defense fire. Intelligence failed. Drones go to hell. Next will be those who launched them.
Mykolaiv and region
"At about 6:00 in Voznesensk in the Mykolaiv region airstrike struck on one of the warehouses, information on the injured and lost now isn't available," mayor Velychko wrote in the morning.
In Mykolaiv, it's possible to receive free food sets in two branches of Nova Poshta. Humanitarian aid will be given daily to anyone.
Kherson region
In the Kherson region, in addition to units of the Russian armed forces, police officers from the Krasnodar Territory and the Russian-occupied Crimea were recorded. FSB task forces perform punitive functions. The enemy is campaigning to involve the local population in the so-called "police."
The entrance to the village of Pravdyne, Bilozerska community, Kherson region, is mined, probably about 140 hectares. There are wounded in the village. They cannot be taken away by ambulances due to mines," the Kherson regional state administration reports.
13:00 – Eyewitnesses report: Russian fascists set fire to Kherson floodplains. It burns intensely.
The military of the Russian Federation detained and has been holding the secretary of the Nova Kakhovka City Council Dmytro Vasyliev for two days now. His wife says he is being held in the basement of the Nova Kakhovka police building, which the Russian military uses as the office of the so-called "commandant's office."
15:00 – Another abduction in Oleshky in the Kherson region. Russians kidnapped city council official Oleksandr Zarivnyi. According to the head of the community, the man is alive, when he will be released, it is unknown.
In the Kherson region in Vysokopillia, the occupiers established rules for walking and transport. "Every resident should wear a white rag on his left hand, and a side mirror should be tied on cars," local activist Yurii Samokhvalov wrote on the Vysokopillia Hromada Facebook page.
However, southern Ukrainian birds are not subject to any order of Russian invaders. In the area of Kalanchak in the Kherson region, geese joined the air defense of Ukraine. Another enemy fighter crashed here. According to eyewitnesses, this time the occupier's military plane was "shot down" by a flock of wild geese. One or more birds heroically got into the engine of a Russian fighter, as a result of which it fell into the swamp. We feel sorry or geese, but even nature is on the side of our country!
"Groundhog Day" in Chornobaivka, a suburb of Kherson, has reached a new level. The Ukrainian Armed Forces again attacked the city's airfield, which is used by Russian invaders to base command posts and aircraft. According to preliminary data, the commander of this army was killed, perhaps not only he but also some generals, but the information is being clarified.
Sumy region
In Krolevets, Sumy Region, a 6-year-old boy presented a gift from his parents to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is a quadcopter. The boy himself dreamed of it for a long time. He received it for my birthday, but I decided to give the dream gift to our military. Now the quadcopter will be useful to the Armed Forces.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
The Russian occupiers destroyed 20 buildings in Rubizhne and Severodonetsk overnight. Two were killed and four were injured, said Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk region.
Yesterday, up to 130 people were rescued from the rubble of the Drama Theater in Mariupol. At least 1,300 people may be in the bomb shelter under the ruins.
An airstrike was launched in Kramatorsk. As a result of the shelling of Kramatorsk, at least two people were killed and six were injured. The rockets hit a residential building and an administrative building, the governor of the Donetsk region Pavlo Kyrylenko said.
Mariupol Deputy Mayor Serhii Orlov said that none of the local plants were working and that the Metinvest Azovstal plant had been bombed.
14:00 – The occupiers opened fire on one of the medical institutions in Lysychansk. In total, they fired ten shells.
Yesterday, the Italians expressed a desire to rebuild the Mariupol Drama Theater, which was destroyed by the Russian fascists, and today the Greek Prime Minister said that his country was ready to help rebuild the maternity hospital in Mariupol, which was smashed by Russian missiles.
On March 18, a nine-story building, a shop, and an office building came under enemy fire in Avdiivka, Donetsk region.
According to preliminary information, there are two dead and three wounded, said the head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko.
19:00 – The Ukrainian military restored a monument to Vasyl Slipak in the Donetsk region, Myth, which was destroyed by the Russians.
20:00 – The head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration Serhii Haidai reports: the Russians do not control the Luhansk region. They only partially entered Rubizhne and Popasna. Kreminna is ours, Severodonetsk is ours, Lysychansk is ours, Hirske, Zolote are ours.
Zaporizhzhia
The Russian military fired on a military facility near Zaporizhzhia on Friday morning, the consequences of which are being clarified, said the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Starukh.
In Berdiansk, there are centers to accommodate evacuees from Mariupol. That night, more than 2,600 people were able to spend the night there.
21:30 – In the Zaporizhzhia region, the occupiers fired at rescuers who came to put out fires from previous shelling. One SES officer was killed and five others were injured.
22:30 – The National Guard stopped the occupiers' attack on Rubizhne. About twenty enemy soldiers were killed during the battle.
Zhytomyr region
On March 17, Russian troops fired from the air at two villages in the Korosten region; rescuers are eliminating the consequences of the shelling.
Western Ukraine
In Lviv, several rockets hit the aircraft repair plant. Its buildings were destroyed by the blows. The active work of the plant was stopped in time, so none of the people were injured, said Lviv Mayor Sadovyi.
The missiles that hit the area near Lviv airport were fired from the Black Sea. According to preliminary data, there were six cruise missiles, two of which were destroyed by the Ukrainian military, according to the West command of the Air Force.
Lviv City Council
In Lviv, 109 empty prams were placed on Rynok Square. That is how many Ukrainian children have been ruthlessly killed by the Russian occupiers since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Vinnytsia and region
Since the beginning of the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down three missiles over the Vinnytsia region, Serhii Borzov, the Head of the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration reports.
Chernihiv region
Внаслідок обстрілу російською артилерією мікрорайону у центрі Чернігова загинули 14 людей.
"Chernihiv stands and will stand, f*ck all you will not succeed. We will stand and we will win." This is what Viacheslav Chaus, the head of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, said in his video address on March 18.
14:00 – The mayor's words turned out to be prophetic. Two attempts to advance the Russians were repulsed near Chernihiv and many pieces of equipment were destroyed.
As for sowing: "Where there is an opportunity to start sowing, we have to do it. After all, we sow on our land and we have to gather this bread. Therefore, where there is an opportunity, where there is access to resources, where there are relatively safe fields, I ask you to start sowing. Chernihiv and the country need bread. I repeat we will collect it on our land!"
