1:10 p.m
US drone shot down by Romania
The US MQ-9 Reaper drone took off from Romania and was flying about 7,500 meters above the Black Sea when it was intercepted by Russian jets. Several media outlets reported it, including the New York Times and ABC News, which quoted a US Air Force official. Drones of this type usually take off from the NATO bases Campia Turzii (Romania), Larissa (Greece) and Signonella (Italy).
1:02 p.m
Kyiv: “Drone incident signals Putin wants to expand territory”
“The incident involving the US Mq-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, provoked by Russia, is a signal from Putin that he is ready to expand the conflict zone with the participation of other parties.” This is what Secretary of the Security and National Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov wrote on Twitter, emphasizing that “it is a tactic to do everything in one day and in a situation of strategic defeat to raise the stakes in the hope that the changing circumstances”.
12:54
Putin: “We will respond to sanctions by expanding economic freedom”
“We will respond to all actions by our opponents against Russian companies by expanding economic freedom,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin, quoted by Interfax.
12:51
Putin: harsh reaction to attempts to destabilize the situation in the country
At an extended meeting of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Vladimir Putin called for a tough response to attempts to destabilize the situation in the country. Ria Novosti writes it.
12:49 p.m
Putin: “Russia is working hard on the production of new weapons”
Russia is doing a great job building new arms production capacity. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, quoted by Tass.
11:46
Wagner, conquered another place near Bakhmut
Russian troops captured another place near Bakhmut, Zaliznyanskoye. This was stated by Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private militia Wagner, quoted by the RIA Novosti agency.
11:36
Kiev, in Kharkiv Rocket falls near school, buildings damaged
A school building in Kharkiv was damaged after a Russian rocket attack, but no one was injured. This was reported by Ukrinform, citing the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak. «The Russians launched a missile attack on Kharkiv. It hit near the school, the building was partially damaged, windows were broken. There were no casualties,” Yermak wrote on Telegram.
11:31
Kyiv: Russian plane shot down near Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian fighter jet near Bakhmut. This was reported by the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, in a telegram, Ukrinform writes.
11:31
Moscow, exercise of 10 Russian jets over Kaliningrad
More than ten Russian Baltic Fleet military jets, including Su-27s and Su-30SMs, conducted an exercise in the skies over Kaliningrad today to simulate intercepting and destroying conventional enemy targets. This was announced by the fleet press service quoted by the Tass agency.
11:23
Kiev: Putin’s signal that he wants to expand the conflict
“With the incident involving the American MQ-9 Reaper UAV – caused by Russia in the Black Sea – Putin is signaling his willingness to extend the conflict to other parties. The purpose of this all-in tactic is to always up the ante,” wrote Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, on Twitter.
11:03
UK: Intercepted Russian plane was outside Estonian airspace
The Russian Il-78 Midas refueling plane flying between St. Petersburg and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad was intercepted outside Estonian airspace, albeit close to the border, in the past few hours by a joint effort of two NATO fighters, one from the British RAF and one from the German Air Force, in the “first joint operation of both countries”. The BBC clarified, citing Defense Ministry sources in London that the flash occurred “close” in the Estonian sky. The reason given for the interception is that the crew of the Il-78 in Tallinn “ignored communicating with air traffic control”.
10:03
Pope Francis: “Respect All Religious Sites”
«I am thinking of the orthodox nuns of the Kiev convent. I call on the warring parties to respect religious places. Ordained nuns, people of all denominations who are consecrated to prayer are a pillar of the people of God.” The Pope said so at the end of the general audience to prevent the controversial Cave Monastery in Kiev.
09:17
13 Russian ships sighted in the Black Sea: There are four missile carriers with 28 Kalibr missiles on board
There are 13 Russian ships on combat duty in the Black Sea, including four missile carriers with 28 Kalibr cruise missiles on board. As reported by Ukrinform, this was announced on Facebook by the Naval Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“As of March 15, 2023, there are 13 enemy ships on combat duty in the Black Sea, including 4 Kalibr cruise missile carriers with a total of 28 missiles,” the statement said. There is a German ship in the Sea of Azov; in the Mediterranean – up to seven enemy ships, including three Caliber aircraft carriers, a total salvo of up to 20 missiles.
09:14
Ukraine, Russian bomb attack between Kharkiv, Chuguyiv and Kupyan: 2 dead and several injured
Russian troops bombed settlements on the border of Kharkiv districts, Chuguyiv And Kupyan: Several civilians were killed and wounded.
The bombing damaged some industries and shops, as well as the building of the fire and rescue services.
A 55 year old woman is dead As a result of an enemy shot that hit the car, the 47-year-old driver was injured and hospitalized. After Russian troops attacked the village Kolodyaznedistrict of Kupyan, private residential buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged. A 42-year-old civilian who was driving a car during the shelling was killed.
A 58-year-old civilian was injured in an accident in the village Dvorichna, Kupyan district. The victim received medical treatment at the scene.
08:30
Central Russia: 400,000 troops recruited since April
From April 1, Russia will begin recruiting new treaty troops. The Ministry of Defense has sent orders to the regions specifying the number of people they must sign: Russian regional media wrote that a total of 400,000 contract troops must join the army, according to the plans of the Federation Ministry of Defense. This was reported on the Radio Svoboda website. According to the Vyrstka newspaper, the registration and enlistment offices are trying to compensate for the losses of the Russian army.
08:29
Military maneuvers between China, Iran and Russia in the Gulf of Oman
The armed forces of China, Iran, Russia and other countries will hold a cycle of joint naval exercises titled “Security Bond – 2023” from today, March 15 to March 19 in the Gulf of Oman. These are, according to a statement from the Beijing Defense Ministry, operations developed in the cycles that China, Iran and Russia conducted back in 2019 and 2022.
08:10
Syrian President Assad in Moscow by Putin
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow on his first official visit outside the Middle East since the devastating earthquake on February 6. This was announced by the Syrian Presidency via telegram. Assad, accompanied by a large delegation of ministers, will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin: the two heads of state – the Kremlin announced – will discuss cooperation in the political, commercial and humanitarian spheres “as well as the prospects for a general solution to the situation”. Syria”.
07:26
GB planes intercept Russian planes over Estonian airspace
British Royal Air Force planes and German fighter jets intercepted a Russian plane flying over Estonian airspace. The BBC reports the news, stressing that while the interception itself was “routine,” it was “the first time an operation of this nature has been conducted jointly by the two countries” involved in NATO’s joint air surveillance programme.
06:36
Russian ambassador: ‘We don’t want a clash with the US’
Russia doesn’t want ‘clash’ with United States: Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov told reporters after being summoned to the US State Department over the incident between a Moscow jet and a US drone. However, the diplomat noted that “in our view, American planes should not be near the Russian border.” “Can you imagine such a drone suddenly appearing near New York or San Francisco?” he asked, although the crash happened in international airspace.