24.03.2022, Moscow.
The Rossa Primavera News Agency publishes a summary of events in Ukraine as of 5 p.m. on March 24.
On the evening of March 23 and the night of March 24, high-precision long-range sea and air strikes were carried out against military targets of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. The strikes destroyed:
13 anti-aircraft missile launchers, including nine S-300s and four Buk-M1s in the village of Danilovka, south of Kiev.
The headquarters of the Ukrainian army grouping and a warehouse of missile and artillery weapons in the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
a temporary deployment point of the nationalist battalion in the town of Lisichansk.
Sixty Ukrainian military targets were hit by aircraft overnight. Among them: two command posts, two multiple rocket launchers, four ammunition depots, and 47 areas where Ukrainian army’s weapons and military equipment were amassed. Russian air defenses destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Staraya Markovka and Kharkov.
A total of 257 unmanned aerial vehicles, 202 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1,572 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 160 multiple rocket launchers, 633 pieces of field artillery and mortars and 1,379 pieces of special military vehicle equipment have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation.
Kharkov direction
By morning, Russian units had taken complete control of Izyum in the Kharkov region.
Zaporozhye direction
There was a fire at the pier in Berdyansk. It is not yet clear what caused it, but sabotage or a Tochka-U hit is not ruled out. At least one of the Russian Black Sea Fleet landing ships moored at the pier was damaged as a result of the fire. The Ukrainian Navy rushed to report about the sinking in Berdyansk of the Russian landing ship Orsk. But in the video that appeared from Berdyansk, it safely leaves the port.
From today on the territory of Berdyansk and Berdyansk district began digital television broadcasting of 23 Russian TV channels and radio broadcasting in FM-band of 3 Russian radio stations.
Liberation of the LPR and DPR
As of March 24, 2022, a group of DPR troops liberated 102 towns and villages in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including Sladkoye, Urozhaynoye and Zolotaya Niva.
There are battles for Mariupol, Mariinka, Novomikhailovka and Novobakhmutovka. The mopping-up of Verkhnetoretskoye continues.
Mariupol
Mariupol’s Azovstal plant is currently being encircled. The city is mostly liberated. Combat is underway in the central districts of the city. Work continues on clearing Mariupol of nationalist units.
In one of the central districts of Mariupol, local residents received about a thousand food packages. The security of the residents who came to the humanitarian aid distribution point was ensured by Russian servicemen and servicemen of the DPR People’s Militia.
Over the past 24 hours, from 08:00 a.m. on March 23 to 08:00 a.m. on March 24, 504 people, including 130 children, were evacuated from Mariupol to Bezymyonnoye in the Novoazovsk district.
At present, they are in an evacuation centers deployed by the DPR Ministry of Emergency Situations.
In Mariupol, one of the Nazi members of the Azov regiment (organization banned in the Russian Federation) known as “Taxi Driver” was killed.
Shelling of LPR and DPR territory
As a result of the military aggression of the Ukrainian army, 56 buildings and 15 civilian infrastructure objects were damaged. A total of 326 rounds of ammunition were fired by Ukrainian militants.
The enemy opened fire on the territory of Donetsk People’s Republic using 122 mm multiple rocket launchers, 122 mm artillery and 120 mm mortars.
Over the past 24 hours, 50 people were wounded as a result of the Ukrainian army’s shelling of the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, earlier liberated by a group of DPR troops. A total of 57 civilians were wounded in varying degrees of severity throughout the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic during this period.
A control post at the Yelenovka station was damaged by the fire that came from the positions of Ukrainian militants. A ChME3 diesel locomotive was also damaged.
As a result of the shelling of Krasny Partizan in Yasinuvataya district, a house building and a civilian vehicle were damaged on Selskokhozyaystvennaya Street. Yasinovataya was completely left without electricity as a result of the Ukrainian army’s shelling.
Repair and restoration work will begin as soon as the situation allows.
As a result of the shelling from the Ukrainian positions, household buildings on Matrosova Street in Dokuchayevsk were damaged.
A civilian was wounded in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk on 40th Anniversary of the Soviet Ukraine street as a result of a strike from Ukrainian positions. Mine No. 29 in Petrovsky district was de-energized. Thirteen transformation substations, one hospital and 4,700 household customers remain without electricity supply. In Kirovsky district, the Skochinsky mine was de-energized. As a result of the shelling, two miners were injured. One of the men refused to be hospitalized, the other was taken to hospital with a mine blast injury.
As a result of an artillery strike by the Ukrainian army on the streets of Pervomaisky settlement in Chervonogvardeysky district of Makeevka, the houses on Kollektivnaya and Tychyny streets were damaged.
Over the past 24 hours, from 09:00 a.m. on March 23 to 09:00 a.m. on March 24, 50 people were wounded as a result of the shelling of the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, earlier liberated by a group of DPR troops.
A total of 57 civilians were wounded in varying degrees of severity throughout the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic during that period, according to the DPR Ministry of Health.
Political situation
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) downgraded this year’s global economic growth forecast to 2.6% from 3.6% because of the situation in Ukraine.
The UN Security Council did not adopt a Russian humanitarian resolution calling for a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine, RIA Novosti reported. All members of the Security Council – except Russia and China – abstained.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia’s statement on the reasons for the results of the vote at the UNSC on draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, “The vote has exposed all those for whom politicizing the humanitarian file is more important than UN assistance to humanitarian aid to Ukrainians in need.”
Russia’s decision to accept payment for natural gas supplies in rubles was a big problem for the world, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said. “Before I went into the studio, I looked at the price of oil, it was $122 a barrel, gas went up 25%. These are big problems for the whole world, as is the decision about the ruble. Some people think it’s genius in the geopolitical game to counter the petrodollar [with ruble] along with the yuan. The Germans have already said that this is a reason to terminate the treaty. I’m not so sure about that, all this brings us new and new problems,” he said in an interview with RTV.
Chinese factories are asking partners from nearby countries to switch payments from dollars to yuan.
The Russian Interior Ministry announced that:
Citizens of the DPR, LPR and Ukraine will be able to work in Russia without having to apply for a permit;
The documents of DPR and LPR citizens, including driver’s licenses and work record cards, will be recognized throughout Russia.
At a meeting in Minsk, Belarusian President Lukashenko commented on Poland’s proposal to send a Western peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine,
“You see, these Poles are insane, they have already suggested, they have invited this person from overseas and they started to force him [US President Joe Biden – Rossa Primavera News Agency]: let us create a peacekeeping force of 100 thousand strong and send it to Ukraine through Lvov.
You understand that this is World War III. And do you think that we will remain inactive?
We will be simply trampled by boots with your kind of character, we do not even have time to squeak! Or do you think I’ll be running around with a machine gun in front of me again? No, guys.
If you want to have a country, you’ve got to cling to it with your teeth. You’d better not have a machine gun. That’s why the situation is very serious, very tense. And we must see and understand this.“
Liberated territories of Ukraine
Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia: Russia has started paying a lump sum of 10,000 rubles each to pensioners and state employees in the liberated territories of Ukraine.
It has been decided to create military-civil administrations in the liberated territories of Ukraine – former member of the Ukrainian parliament Tsaryov.
Tsaryov on socio-economic policy in the liberated territories:
Loan debts will be written off;
Utility debts will be written off.
Utility payments will be reduced three to four times.
A drastic reduction in taxation.
Businesses will receive benefits and subsidies unprecedented for Ukraine.
Sanctions
Poland has blocked the bank accounts of the Russian embassy under the pretext of “terrorism financing” – the Russian ambassador to Poland.
Poland’s economy is experiencing hard times since the imposition of anti-Russian sanctions, the prime minister said, “Prices are rising very impressively. This means that the wallets of Poles and other citizens of Europe are getting thinner.”
The head of the Polish energy company PGNiG said there was no possibility to switch to rubles in payments for gas supplies from Russia.
The US authorities decided to restore the exemptions from duties on imports of several hundreds of varieties of goods from China, according to the statement of the US Department of Commerce which became available to RIA Novosti.
Europe has nothing to replace Russian gas now, “not in one year, not in three, not in five years,” Europe’s complete rejection of Russian energy imports is “some apocalyptic scenario,” Deputy Prime Minister Novak said.
The German brand Kinetixx, which specializes in the production of gloves for athletes, has terminated its partnership with Russian skier Alexander Bolshunov. The company that the possibility of resuming cooperation with Russian citizens was unlikely.
French car concern Renault announced about termination of its work in Russia. Initially, the French car company refused to stop its operations in Russia. But after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba called for a worldwide boycott of Renault, the company announced the closure of its car plant in Moscow and is considering options to leave Avtovaz.
Bulgaria has been hostile towards Russia, so, like it or not, it will buy gas for rubles – Press Secretary of the Russian President Peskov.
Austria considers it unrealistic and wrong to refuse gas and oil supplies from Russia – Austrian Chancellor.
Refusal of gas from Russia threatens the economy of Austria with disastrous consequences – the Federation of Austrian Industries.
YouTube unblocked the channels Soviet TV. Gosteleradiofond and Soviet Radio. Gosteleradiofond.
Russia may sell energy resources to “unfriendly countries” for its national currency (rubles) and gold, while for the “friendly countries” to transfer payments in their national currencies (yuan, lira, dinar) and, if possible, sell for bitcoins, said at a press conference on Thursday the head of the State Duma Committee on Budget Pavel Zavalny.
Oil traders expect global oil prices may reach $250 a barrel in 2022 due to an international boycott of Russian imports and a lack of alternative sources of supply – Financial Times.
The US Treasury Department said that the current sanctions now apply to any gold transactions if they are linked to the Bank of Russia.
Switzerland will freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian citizens but will not confiscate them due to the lack of an appropriate legal framework, said Bollinger of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Earlier, Bollinger said that the amount of Russian assets hit by sanctions in Switzerland is currently about 5.7 billion Swiss francs (more than $6.1 billion).
Ukraine
The Ukrainian minister of agricultural policy and food resigned on the eve of the sowing campaign.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister, “If any EU country yield n to Putin’s humiliating demands to pay for oil and gas in rubles, it would be like helping Ukraine one hand and helping Russians kill Ukrainians with the other. I urge the countries concerned to make a wise and responsible choice.”
The mayor of Kupyansk, Gennadiy Matsegora, who earlier entered into a dialogue with the Russian military, said that his daughter had been kidnapped by the SBU [Ukrainian Security Service – translator’s note] in Ivano-Frankovsk Region. Matssegora recorded an appeal to Zelensky in which he stressed that if anything happened to his daughter, he would blame Zelensky for it.
The deputy mayor of Dnepropetrovsk announced that all satellite dishes would be dismantled in the city in order to avoid the mistakes of Kharkov and Mariupol.
Ukraine reports that another prisoner exchange has taken place:
- Swapped 10 Ukrainian for 10 Russian military (no details for the moment).
- They exchanged the crew of 19 sailors from the ship “Sapphire” (standing as a trophy in Sevastopol) for the crew of some civilian ship of 11 people.
Western countries
US will accept up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine – White House.
The Washington Post writes that the FBI is trying to “recruit” Russian-speaking people through ads in social networks on the smartphones of those who are inside the Russian embassy in Washington or nearby. According to the newspaper, the ads appear on Facebook (organization banned in Russia), Twitter and Google. The FBI allegedly wants to capitalize on “any discontent” in the Russian diplomatic or spy services, or among Russian emigrants, about Russian special operations in Ukraine.
Bulgaria will not provide military aid to Ukraine – Prime Minister. “Bulgaria is doing its best to support Ukraine, but without providing direct military assistance,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said.
In Poland, a monument to Red Army soldiers was dismantled live on TV. They first removed the five-pointed star with the hammer and sickle from the monument, and then began to destroy it. All this was broadcasted by the pro-government channel TVP.
Germany intends to provide Ukraine with 2,000 shoulder-fired grenade launchers from the Bundeswehr stocks.
The Swedish authorities decided to provide Ukraine with another 5,000 anti-tank weapons.
The White House has assembled a team of national security and military officials to sketch out scenarios for how the US and its allies should react if Russian President Vladimir Putin weres frustrated by the lack of progress in Ukraine or were determined to warn Western countries against interference – would use [Russia’s] stockpiles of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, The New York Times wrote.
According to several officials involved, the Tiger Group, as it is also known, is also exploring retaliation if Putin invades NATO territory to attack convoys delivering weapons and aid to Ukraine. Meeting three times a week in secret meetings, the team is also examining answers as to whether Russia seeks to expand the special operation to neighboring countries, including Moldova and Georgia, and how to prepare European countries for an influx of refugees on a scale.
Poland’s initiative to send a “peacekeeping mission” to Ukraine raises many questions – Julianne Smith, US Permanent Representative to NATO. She noted she wouldn’t call it “dead in the water,” but there are still “a lot of open-ended questions about it” and that allies “want to know more about what Poland is suggesting.” She pointed to the United States’ commitment to not send US troops to Ukraine, but said the United States is open to “fresh thinking” on how to support Ukraine – CNBC.
NATO will not deploy troops to Ukraine to avoid war with Russia – Stoltenberg, responding to a question about Poland’s proposal.
Biden promised that NATO will increase military assistance to Ukraine, transfer additional weapons systems, including air defense equipment.
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said that
NATO demands that Belarus stop supporting Russia’s military special operation in Ukraine.
Beijing should use its considerable influence over Russia and facilitate an immediate peaceful settlement.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
