Timeline: day 27 of Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression
Today, March 22, Russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for twenty-seven days. We're reporting all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.
What is today?
Key points.
Over the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces repulsed 13 enemy attacks and sent 300 occupiers to hell in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions alone.
Also, Ukrainian defenders destroyed:
- 14 tanks and 8 infantry fighting vehicles;
- 2 MT-LB (armored personnel carrier);
- 3 artillery systems;
- 4 cars;
- 1 enemy plane and another shot down.
As of March 21, 2022, the experts of the Association of Sappers of Ukraine calculated the estimated total area of dangerous areas (suspected and confirmed areas contaminated with explosives) of Ukraine, which is at least 82,525 km2.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, 651 houses have been completely destroyed and about 3,780 houses have been partially damaged. According to Roman Primus, deputy head of the State Emergency Service, the scale of the destruction is much larger, as these figures take into account only those facilities where rescuers can assess the extent of the damage.
Humanitarian corridors
Today there will be three routes for evacuation of people from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia:
- Berdiansk – Zaporizhzhia. Meeting place: sports complex on Melitopolske Shosse Street, 27.
- Manhush community – Zaporizhzhia. Meeting place: Yurievka village, Melekine village council, Zmina boarding house.
- Nikolske – Zaporizhzhia. Meeting place: school №2, street Parkova, 23.
Ukrzaliznytsia managed to evacuate about a thousand more Mariupol residents who are currently on the train to Lviv and Kovel. UZ invites Lviv residents to hospitably meet 790 Ukrainians who escaped at 1:30 pm at the main train station. Another 117 refugees from Mariupol will arrive in western Ukraine tomorrow.
Ukraine's talks with Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that his meeting with Putin will reveal what Russia is ready for and whether the aggressor wants to end the war. Zelenskyy stated this in an interview with the Suspilne. "Without this meeting in any format, you will not really understand to the end what they are ready to do to stop the war and what they are ready for if we are not ready for compromises."
To which Podoliak said that now there are many countries that are interested in meeting Zelenskyy and Putin to end the war. However, no one can name the date of this meeting now.
Atomic objects
Seven fires have already been registered in the Exclusion Zone. Rescuers cannot eliminate them due to the aggression of the occupiers. It is likely that the radiation background in Europe may increase slightly in the near future.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
About financial aid, weapons, and volunteer fighters
In the coming hours, Ukraine will receive more than two million doses of iodine. Also in the next few days, Ukrainian pharmacies will receive hormonal drugs. These medicines were in short supply due to logistical problems caused by the war. The issue is very painful, it is good that it is finally resolved.
To our younger brothers: in Europe, they collected 576 thousand euros for Ukrainian zoos. The European Association of Zoos and Aquariums has collected aid for the affected animals as a result of the Russian invasion, it said on its website. Part of the money has already been transferred to Ukrainian zoos. They are designed to replenish stocks.
News from abroad
The superyacht of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich Solaris entered the port of the Turkish city of Bodrum; a youth team of Ukrainian yachtsmen tried to prevent it from the mooring.
The British government is preparing to temporarily take over the British retail division of Gazprom. According to Bloomberg, citing sources, Gazprom Marketing and Trading Retail Ltd will be the main candidate for the special administrative regime of Great Britain. Gazprom currently supplies up to 20% of Britain's gas needs.
What's in Russia?
Buying ads on Instagram and Facebook can now be considered in Russia as financing extremism.
Russia's only tank-producing plant is shutting down. The reason is the acute shortage of components that were previously supplied from Europe. No "import substitution" will now help orcs continue to produce killing machines.
Not only tanks but also ammunition, fuel, and food are running out in the army of invaders. The reserves will be enough for about three days, the General Staff of the Armed Forces predicts.
What about Belarus?
Embassy of Belarus in the United Kingdom
Let's push the aggressor with sanctions!
One of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance, has cut off sanctioned Russian banks from P2P. P2P payments allowed Russians to make transfers between cards and bank accounts via mobile applications.
Sanctions against Russia in the last 24 hours. Summary from the Ministry of Culture:
- International developer of anti-virus software and computer security solutions ESET has stopped selling products in Russia and Belarus and stopped cooperating with the distributor of ESET solutions in Russia, I-SET Softwea.
- Swedish bank Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken ceases operations.
- Oil service company KCA Deutag suspends new investments.
- Owners of the IELTS English language testing system suspend registration for exams.
- Japan's NEC Electrotechnical Corporation has suspended new orders for its products and services.
- AvtoVAZ sends some employees to idle due to a lack of parts.
Life considering hostilities
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy of the Verkhovna Rada petitioned the President of Ukraine to deprive Baskov, Bortko, Gerello, Kirkorov, Kuiek (Lorak), Loboda, Krutoy, Povalii, who supported the actions of the terrorist country and are touring its territory of state awards, honorary titles, People's Artist of Ukraine, and Honored Artist of Ukraine. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy joins the statement of the committee.
And boxer Vasyl Lomachenko refused to fight with the absolute world champion George Kambosos to defend Ukraine (Lomachenko joined the ranks of territorial defense). George Kambosos was sympathetic to Vasyl Lomachenko's decision not to leave Ukraine during the war with Russia: "Vasyl Lomachenko, I respect your decision and fully understand it. I pray for you and your country. Please stay safe. And one day, when I wipe the floor with Devin Haney, we will have a fight between two real champions. God bless you," Cambosos wrote on Twitter.
Kyiv and region
Boryspil Mayor Volodymyr Borysenko appealed to local residents to leave the city to facilitate the work of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "As the practice of cities where fighting is taking place shows, the smaller the civilian population in the city, the easier it is for the Armed Forces to work. Fighting is already taking place around Boryspil," he said.
* The Center to Counter Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine reports that the occupiers continue to send proposals to surrender en masse to the leaders of Ukrainian cities and regions. At this time, the mayor of Irpin Oleksandr Markushyn received an offer to cooperate with the Russian invaders with promises of saving lives and enrichment. The mayor's response is obvious: "Irpin does not surrender, Irpin is not for sale, Irpin is fighting!"
Kharkiv region
A similar proposal from the aggressor to start negotiations and hand over the city was received by the deputy head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Roman Semenus. The enemy received an angry answer: "The Russians offered me to surrender. They're funny. Victory is ours soon!"
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Defenders of Mariupol destroyed the Raptor patrol boat and the Leer-3 electronic warfare complex.
The enemy used phosphate munitions in Kramatorsk. This was announced by Deputy Chief of the Patrol Police Oleksii Biloshytskyi on FB, Rubryka reports. "Prohibitions and conventions are for the civilized world. And the orcs came to 'liberate.' And they can only liberate in this way," the statement said.
The mayor of Sloviansk Liakh confirmed the shelling of the area of the city's railway station last night. According to him, there are no victims.
In the Luhansk region, invaders damaged 25 buildings, including a children's hospital in Severodonetsk, and caused 14 fires. The aggressors also beat the warehouses with food, but the head of the Luhansk Regional State/Military Administration assures that all supplies have already been established, so the shortage of food doesn't threaten the locals.
The Russians didn't succeed in the blitzkrieg in Rubizhne, so they're doing what they can, destroying the city. The chief of regional military administration Serhii Haidai told about it in the morning on March 22. "Yesterday during the day the fire in Rubizhne almost didn't stop. When the Russians didn't succeed in the blitzkrieg in Rubizhne, they began to do what they could, destroy the city: destroy houses, schools, hospitals. However, we are rescuing the wounded and trying to evacuate those who want to," Haidai said.
Popasna remains inaccessible to the enemy. The fighting continues, but the Russians are not moving deep into the cities. Yesterday, residents of Hisrske withstood an airstrike.
Sumy region
In the Okhtyrka district of the Sumy region, the facts of disobedience of Russian servicemen were recorded. About 300 occupiers refused to carry out the order to fight and left the area with 70 units of equipment.
Zaporizhzhia
The Russian military kidnapped three Israelis in Melitopol. Iryna Vereshchuk called on Israel to finally choose a position in the war against Russia. Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister is planning a visit to Kyiv. He wants ceasefire talks in Ukraine. The date of the trip is being clarified, the Times of Israel reports.
Kherson region
In Kakhovka, the Russian military detained a local resident. Kakhovka Mayor Vitalii Nemerets announced live on the official Facebook page. The Russian military has been present in the city since yesterday. They break into the apartment of Kakhovka residents. "A local resident born in 1985 was taken away by the Russian military. We are currently finding out where he is and what his fate is," said Kakhovka Mayor Vitalii Nemerets.
Mykolaiv and region
Consequences of the Russian "liberation" of residential areas of Mykolaiv
In Mykolaiv, yesterday's missile strike destroyed the hotel. The blockages are being cleared up now.
Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed near Mykolaiv and Mariupol the personnel of divisions of marines of Russia which prepared to storm Odesa. As the spokesperson of the Odesa Regional Military Administration added, "the Russian ship and the Russian Marines went to a well-known address. Glory to Ukraine!"
In the Mykolaiv direction, owing to the counterattack of divisions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the enemy is compelled to retreat to unfavorable borders, the General Staff reports.
Odesa region
The part of personnel who at the beginning of the war tried to land near Odesa is killed and rots near Mykolaiv and Mariupol. Those who are still hanging out in the sea will also "go to feed the pigfish." The spokesman of the operational staff of the Odesa regional military administration Serhii Bratchuk reported about it on March 22.
Dnipropetrovsk region
In the Kryvyi Rih district, Russian invaders fired on the town of Zelenodolsk and the village of Mala Kostromka into the suburbs with Grad missile systems. According to preliminary data, there are no victims.
Chernihiv region
The mayor of Chernihiv spoke about Russian spies in the city: "Today, the Armed Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces fully control the city. Sabotage groups are working, I know that for sure. Arrested spies, fully dressed in our military uniform, who had documents of our Armed Forces, which are well oriented in the situation. One of them even tried to come to my meeting. It turned out to be a Russian spy, an officer." A few weeks ago, there were sabotage and reconnaissance groups breakthroughs in Chernihiv, but all of them were eliminated.
Zhytomyr region
On March 21 in the Zhytomyr region, as a result of enemy shelling of the Korosten district, 3 private houses and 2 outbuildings were destroyed and 10 were damaged in two settlements of the Malyn community, the State Emergency Service reports. It is noted that no one was killed or injured.
Western Ukraine
Russia's special services are trying to destabilize the situation in Zakarpattia, said the head of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Viktor Mykyta. Thus, the occupiers send fake messages with threats to representatives of the Hungarian community on social media from unknown accounts. At this time, Russian websites are spreading misinformation about the "desire of the Hungarian community in the region to secede from Ukraine." "We knew about such intentions long before this information attack began. We were ready, so we systematically and effectively counteract these incursions," Viktor Mykyta said.
A group of saboteurs was detained in Uzhhorod, who, according to special services, was preparing an assassination attempt on President Zelenskyy and riots in the government district of Kyiv. The information about the detention was confirmed by the head of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Viktor Mykyta. The sabotage group consisted of about 25 people.
