All news in Central European Time (CET)
15:10 | Putin’s popularity rises in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine
Some 83% of Russians approve of the action by Vladimir Putin, who gained 12 points in popularity from February, according to the poll published Thursday by the independent Russian institute Levada, its first poll since the start of the offensive in Ukraine. Only 15% of Russians say they do not approve of the president’s action (-12% in one month) and 2% have no opinion. Prime Minister Mikhail Missouri gained 11 points (71%, against 60% in February) and the government 15 points (70% against 55% in February). Previous polls had been made public in recent weeks and already showed Putin’s approval rating of 80% or more, but they were conducted by pro-government institutions. AFP
14:38 | Russia accuses Ukraine of planting hundreds of mines
Russia accused Ukraine on Thursday of having planted some 420 mines in the Black and Azov Seas, of which about ten have been released and are adrift, according to Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashénkov. According to him he said in a statement, the Ukrainian forces laid from February 25 to March 4 370 sea mines in the Black Sea and 50 in the inland Sea of Azov. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, these are obsolete mines of the YaM-1 type. “As a result of storms in the Black Sea and unsatisfactory technical conditions, the anchor cables broke at about 10 Ukrainian mines,” Konashenkov said. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, however, said in a statement on Wednesday that Russia is responsible for these mines. AFP
13:36 | NATO: Russia does not withdraw, it only repositions itself towards Donbas
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that Russia is not withdrawing its troops from the encirclement of kyiv to concentrate on the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, as Moscow had announced, but rather is “repositioning” its units. Stoltenberg acknowledged that in the Alliance they have heard recent Russian statements according to which the country “will reduce its military operations around kyiv and northern Ukraine.” “But Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions, so we can only judge Russia by its actions, not its words. According to our intelligence, the Russian units are not withdrawing, but repositioning,” the Norwegian politician declared during a press conference. EFE
12:54 | The Kremlin denies that Vladimir Putin feels “cheated” by his advisers
The Kremlin denied on Thursday the information released by the US that suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be misinformed about the real progress of the military campaign in Ukraine.
“They just don’t understand what’s going on in the Kremlin. They don’t understand President Putin and they don’t understand the decision-making mechanism,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov said in his daily telephone briefing. US intelligence agencies have previously said that Putin feels misled by his advisers because they are giving him “misinformation” about the development of the war in Ukraine and the effect of sanctions on the Russian economy. EFE
12:44 | Agency: Russian troops continue bombing in Donbas
Russian troops continue to extensively bombard the disputed Donbass area with heavy weapons, while attacks continue around kyiv and other major cities such as Chernigov (north) and Kharkov (east). The different regional administrations assure that practically the entire country continues to suffer attacks of various kinds, despite Moscow’s announcement to reduce its offensive on kyiv and some other important cities, reports the Urkrinform agency. EFE
12:24 | Pro-Russian separatists claim advances in eastern Ukraine
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have said they control almost all of the Lugansk region and more than half of Donetsk after Moscow made those territories its main military target. “By the morning of March 31, 2022, more than 90% of the territory of the Lugansk People’s Republic has been liberated,” the foreign affairs delegate of the self-proclaimed republic said on Telegram on Thursday. In turn, the leader of the Donetsk separatists, Denis Pushilin, told the TASS news agency on Wednesday that “55% to 60%” of the territory of that region was under Russian control. AFP was unable to independently verify those accounts. AFP
12:18 | The Red Cross will participate in the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said today that its teams in Ukraine are now traveling with emergency aid and medical supplies to Mariupol (Sea of Azov) and are ready to participate tomorrow in the evacuation of civilians trapped in the besieged city. “Our teams are traveling right now with aid and medical supplies to be ready to facilitate the safe transit of civilians out of Mariupol. For logistical and security reasons, we will be ready to conduct the operation tomorrow,” the organization said. EFE
10:50 | Ukraine accuses Russia of attacking with phosphorus bombs
Ukrainian authorities on Thursday accused Russian troops of using phosphorus shells to attack several towns in the east of the country in the disputed Donetsk area. According to the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, Russian troops “have again used phosphorous shells in Maryinka, Krasnohorivka and Novomykhailivka,” the Interfax-Ukraine agency reports. Kyrylenko said the attacks have injured 11 residents of the town of Maryinka, including four children. “Around 11 injured civilians from the Maryinka community, including our children, were transferred to the Kurakhiv city hospital,” confirmed the regional official on his Telegram channel. EFE
10:47 | Zelensky: Russia’s “nuclear blackmail” is a global threat
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Thursday that the increased threat of a nuclear attack from the war in Ukraine puts global security at risk, he said in a virtual speech before the Australian Parliament. “For dozens of years there has been no threat of a nuclear attack like the one we have now because Russian propagandists openly discuss the possibility of using nuclear weapons against those who do not want to submit to Russian commands,” Zelensky said in a speech with simultaneous translation. “The country that uses nuclear blackmail should receive the sanctions, which would show that this blackmail is destructive for the blackmailer himself,” Zelensky said, warning that “the most terrible thing” is that if Russia is not stopped now, the possibility opens up. that “other countries” emulate it, without identifying them. In his speech, Zelensky stressed the need to impose more sanctions against Russia and its collaborators and the strict blockade of that country’s ships in all international ports, while calling for more military aid that his country urgently needs. Later, Zelenski asked the Netherlands to be prepared to boycott Russian energy, during an intervention before Parliament. “Be prepared to stop the (export of) energy from Russia, so as not to pay billions for the war,” he said during a videoconference speech.
EFE
9:46 | Possible new Russia-Ukraine diplomatic meeting in two weeks: Turkey
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitro Kuleba could meet “in one or two weeks,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said on Thursday. “There could be a high-level meeting, at least between the ministers in a week or two,” Cavusoglu said in a television interview, adding that it was “impossible to give a date” and without specifying a venue. AFP
9:18 | Russia makes ‘limited’ withdrawal from Ukraine, UK says
Despite Russian declarations about the intention to reduce military activity around the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv (south), Russian missile attacks and bombings have continued, the latest UK intelligence report says. Russian forces continue to occupy positions east and west of kyiv despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units, adds the report released by the British Ministry of Defense. According to that intelligence information, heavy fighting is likely to break out in the suburbs of that city in the coming days. Heavy fighting continues in Mariupol, a key target for Russian forces, however Ukrainian forces remain in control of the city centre, the UK said. EFE
9:09 | Germany demands “immediate” end to Russian attacks on Mariupol
The German government today demanded an immediate end to Russian attacks on Mariupol and to guarantee safe corridors for the more than 100,000 civilians still in the besieged city. “The attacks must stop immediately. International humanitarian law must be respected. Therefore, I call on the Russian government to enable safe corridors for the voluntary evacuation of civilians and the provision of humanitarian aid to those who cannot leave or want to stay” , urged the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, in a statement. The minister recalled that more than 100,000 civilians are still trapped in Mariupol, including children, women, men and the elderly. EFE
8:59 | Death toll from Russian attack in Mikolaiv rises to 16
The death toll in the Russian attack on Tuesday against the headquarters of the regional administration of the Ukrainian city of Mikolaiv, in the south of the country, amounts to 16, according to the Interfax-Ukraine agency. The rescuers came to recover up to 15 bodies from the rubble in which the building was left, while another person rescued alive was sent to a hospital and later died in intensive care, adds the SES. EFE
8:15 | Vehicles mobilized to evacuate civilians in Mariupol
kyiv on Thursday sent 45 buses to evacuate civilians from Mariupol after the Russian announcement of a ceasefire. The vehicles also transport food and supplies for the population that remains besieged in that town in Ukraine. REUTERS