UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – Le Figaro provides an update on the latest information from journalists, Ukrainian and Russian statements, Western sources and international organizations.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted update
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The White House supports a conversation between the Ukrainian president and his Chinese counterpart, Washington publishes images of the interception of its drone by the Russians, the UN accuses Moscow of a war crime… Le Figaro takes stock this Thursday, March 16 on the latest information related to the war in ukraine.
Poland to supply kyiv with MiG-29 fighters, a first for NATO
Poland will deliver a first batch of four MiG-29 fighter-bombers to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on Thursday, which will be the first such delivery by a member of theI’LL TAKE. «In the coming days, we will first transfer (…) four fully operational aircraft to UkraineAndrzej Duda told reporters. The MiGs transferred to Ukraine will be replaced by South Korean FA-50 aircraft and American F-35s.
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kyiv has repeatedly asked its Western allies to send it modern fighter-bombers, hoping to get American F-16s. The Polish decisiondo not change anything“However to the American refusal to do the same, assured shortly following John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House. Reacting to Warsaw’s announcement, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said:MiGs will not solve the problems, we need F-16s. But the MiGs will help strengthen our capabilities».
»SEE ALSO – War in Ukraine: Warsaw will transfer 4 Mig-29 fighters to kyiv in the coming days
A conversation between Zelensky and Xi would be “a very good thing”, according to the White House
A conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Chinese President Xi Jinping «would be a very good thing“, said Thursday a spokesman for the White House, John Kirby, assuring that the United States “encouragedsuch a touch. The Ukrainian president had said at the end of February that he was planning a meeting with the Chinese leader, and the Wall Street Journal claimed earlier this week that Xi Jinping planned to speak to his Ukrainian counterpart soon, which would be their first conversation since Russia invaded Ukraine just over a year ago.
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Earlier in the day, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kouleba, urged Kyiv and Moscow to resume “as quickly as possiblepeace talks, according to Beijing. “The Chine fears the crisis is getting worse and spiraling out of controlsaid Qin Gang, according to a statement released by his ministry. “She hopes all parties will keep calm, exercise restraint, resume peace talks as soon as possible and return to the path of a political settlement.»
Washington publishes images of the interception of its drone by the Russians
The US military released footage of theinterception over the Black Sea of its drone by the Russian army, showing a fighter spraying fuel on the aircraft, which is then seen with a damaged propeller blade. The declassified video sequence released on the US Armed Forces Europe Command website lasts 42 seconds and shows a Russian Sukhoi-27 passing twice just above the drone, following approaching it from behind.
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On the first pass, no shock is visible between the two devices, nor anything that seems to justify the fall of the drone. The process “disrupts video transmission“, comments the site of the American army in Europe, which notes that the propeller of the drone “can be seen and remains intact».
During a second pass, without it being established whether it is the same fighter or a second one, the maneuver is similar but the aircraft passes even closer to the drone. The image transmission is then interrupted for 60 seconds. When she resumes,the propeller can be seen once more and one of the blades can be seen to be damaged», Notes the US Air Force.
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Sweden and UK agree to send artillery systems to Ukraine
Sweden announced Thursday an agreement with the United Kingdom for the sale of its system ofartillery Archer, allowing London to donate an older model of artillery, the AS-90, to Ukraine. The UK will buy 14 Archer artillery systems, long-range self-propelled guns, the Swedish government said in a statement.
Sweden has also indicated that it will send 8 Archer systems directly to Ukraine, which has been asking for them for months. Developed by Sweden, the Archer system consists of a fully automated howitzer mounted on an all-terrain vehicle, which allows the crew seated in the armored cabin to control the gun remotely.
Russian policy of transferring Ukrainian children a war crime, says UN
The relocation ofukrainian children in the areas under the control of Moscow and in Russia itself constitutes a “war crimesaid a group of UN investigators on Thursday. These investigators also accuse Moscow of having committed possible “crimes once morest humanityin Ukraine, attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure and using torture.
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«The situations it examined concerning the transfer and deportation of children, inside Ukraine and to the Russian Federation respectively, violate international humanitarian law and constitute a war crime“, write the investigators in their first report written since Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The investigators also accuse Moscow of having committed possible “crimes once morest humanity».
Russia assures “not to be a threat” for Finland and Sweden, which want to join NATO
Russia assured Thursday that it does not represent a “menacefor Finland and Sweden, two countries due to join NATO, but whose membership has so far been blocked by Ankara. Helsinki said on Wednesday that Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had made their decision on Finland’s membership following nearly a year of deadlock, although no date was given for that decision.
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«We have repeatedly deplored this orientation towards the accession of Finland and Sweden, we have repeatedly said that Russia is in no way a threat to these countriesKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. According to him, the two countries have “no disputewith Russia.