Russia fires hypersonic missiles at weapons depot in Ukraine
Russia said it used hypersonic Kinzhal or Kinzhal missiles to destroy a weapons depot in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine, Reuters reported.
According to the Russian news agency Interfax, this was the first time Russia had deployed its Kinzhal hypersonic system since the start of the war.
Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing that the underground warehouse hit by the Kinzhal missile system on Friday is home to Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition. Reuters said it was unable to independently verify Konashenkov’s comments.
— Terry Cullen
Ukrainian authorities say there have been no major changes in hostilities over the past 24 hours
A man walks along a shell-damaged street in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 18, 2022.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
According to an adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian authorities have not observed any large-scale shifts in the frontline areas.
Reuters reports that Aleksei Arestovich said in a video message on Saturday that the fighting continues. Among the hot spots where Russian troops were advancing, they named the cities of Mariupol, Nikolaev and Kherson.
— Sam Meredith
The Ukrainian authorities have introduced a 38-hour curfew in Zaporozhye.
The Ukrainian military has imposed a 38-hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporozhye, starting at 2 p.m. London time on Saturday and ending in the early hours of Monday morning.
“Don’t go outside at this time!” This was announced by Vice Mayor Anatoly Kurtiev, reports Reuters.
— Sam Meredith
Ukraine hopes to open 10 humanitarian corridors on Saturday
Wounded civilians in Mariupol receive treatment in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, March 18, 2022, as evacuations from Mariupol continue amid Russian attacks.
Stringer | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said the country hopes to evacuate citizens through 10 humanitarian corridors from cities on the front lines of the Russian invasion.
According to Vereshchuk, a corridor for the besieged Mariupol was agreed upon, Reuters reports. Previous attempts to secure safe passage for civilians under a temporary ceasefire have largely failed as Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other.
About 350,000 people are reported to be taking refuge in the southeastern city of Mariupol without access to food and water.
— Sam Meredith
UN reports 2,149 civilian casualties in Ukraine since Russian invasion began
A handout image shows an apartment building after a missile attack during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 18, 2022.
National Police of Ukraine | via Reuters
The United Nations has reported 2,149 civilian casualties in Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion more than three weeks ago, with 816 dead and 1,333 injured.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights believes that the real numbers are likely much higher, especially given the intense fighting in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions in recent days.
The UN said that most of the civilian casualties recorded so far were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide area of effect, including shelling and air and missile strikes.
— Sam Meredith
Four US soldiers die in plane crash during NATO exercise, Norwegian PM says
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stere said four American soldiers died in a plane crash while participating in a NATO military exercise called Cold Response.
“It is with great sadness that we [received] reports that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night,” Store tweeted on Saturday morning.
“Soldiers participated in the NATO Cold Response exercise. We express our deepest condolences to the families, relatives and fellow soldiers of the soldiers in their unit.”
Local police are said to be investigating the cause of the crash, Reuters reported, though bad weather has halted their work.
— Sam Meredith
UK MoD warns Russia could use ‘indiscriminate use of firepower’
The UK Ministry of Defense has warned that Russia is likely to resort to “indiscriminate use of firepower” after failing so far to achieve its initial goals.
Russia was forced to change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition. This is stated in the message of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain on Twitter.
As a result of the change in tactics, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine could worsen as the number of civilian casualties rises and infrastructure is destroyed, he warns.
The Defense Ministry reiterated that Moscow “was surprised by the scale and ferocity of the Ukrainian Resistance.”
— Joanna Tan
Zelenskiy calls for talks with Russia and says it’s time to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech on the assessment of the 22nd day of the Russian-Ukrainian war during a virtual speech in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2022.
Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russia to sit down at the negotiating table.
“Meaningful peace and security talks for Ukraine are the only chance for Russia to mitigate the damage from its own mistakes,” he said in a video message on Saturday.
“It’s time to meet. It’s time to speak. It’s time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such that you will not rise for several generations.”
— Joanna Tan
Biden warns Xi of global backlash
Joe Biden talks with Xi Jinping, March 18, 2022
White House
Biden had a nearly two-hour phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Both Biden and Xi agreed on the need to promote peace and help overcome the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the invasion. But they were deeply divided over who was responsible for the suffering in Ukraine, and the Chinese leader refused to hold Russia solely responsible for the unprovoked invasion.
Instead, official data from Beijing made it clear that Xi’s position was that the US and Europe had provoked Russian President Vladimir Putin into attacking Ukraine by expanding NATO into Eastern Europe.
During the call, Biden “described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia,” the White House said in a statement.
— Christina Wilkie