Russian invasion of Ukraine: Day 746

Summary for Sunday, 10th March 2024 - DAY 746

• Pope Francis has said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the “white flag” and negotiate an end to the war with Russia. Francis made his comments in an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, well before Friday’s latest offer by Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war. “Don’t be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse,” the 87-year-old pontiff said.
  
  
• Turkish and US officials have held comprehensive talks about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and various bilateral issues during meetings in Washington, Turkey’s foreign minister said late on Friday. Hakan Fidan said he discussed ways to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with officials including US counterpart Antony Blinken, reiterating that Ankara believed it is time to discuss paths toward an end to the war but that Turkey did not see this willingness from Kyiv and Moscow. “We need a basis for talking, for this war to stop, and a dialogue to prevent worse crises, and we call for this,” Fidan said.
  
  
• Ukrainian authorities said two people including a teenage boy were killed Saturday in Russian artillery attacks. Serhiy Lysak, governor of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, said a 16-year-old boy was killed and a 22-year-old man injured in a morning artillery attack that hit the town of Chervonohryhorivka.
  
  
• Ukrainian officials said Saturday a Russian bomb landed near a block of flats in the southern city of Kherson overnight wounding a child. It published a video of a destroyed building, with a large crater outside it. “A seven-year-old boy who suffered from the shelling is under medical supervision,” authorities said.
  
  
• Russian air defences have downed a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet over Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the RIA news agency cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying on Saturday. Ukrainian authorities have not reported any fighter jet losses in recent days.
  
  
• Car traffic was temporarily suspended over the Crimea Bridge on Saturday, Russian authorities said on the Telegram messaging app, a move often made because of expected or actual attacks. The bridge connects mainland Russia to Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, but which Kyiv still considers its territory.
  
  
• A Moscow court has sentenced a student to 10 days in jail after he renamed his wifi network with a pro-Kyiv slogan during the military offensive in Ukraine, the Ria-Novosti news agency reported on Saturday. The student at Moscow State University replaced the name of the network from his wifi router with Slava Ukraini, meaning ‘Glory to Ukraine’, the rallying cry of Ukraine forces. The court found him guilty of a “public demonstration of Nazi symbolics … or symbols of extremist organisations,” Ria-Novosti said.
  

Oil depot on fire after drone attack in Kursk, Russia

Authorities in the Russian city of Kursk say a fire has broken out at an oil depot after a drone attack.

The EU is fighting anti-Ukraine propaganda ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June

Pro-Russian accounts have been pumping out posts on Facebook, X and TikTok that depict Ukrainian refugees as violent criminals or claim that Kyiv’s government officials siphon off financial aid sent by the West to buy luxury yachts and villas for themselves.Another theme with particular potency in countries closest to the conflict is that refugees receive higher state benefits than locals.
The aim of such propaganda is to weaken the EU’s resolve and benefit anti-immigration parties like Germany’s AfD, France’s National Rally or the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, said Jakub Kalensky, an analyst at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) in Helsinki, Finland.
Such disinformation will “definitely play a role” in the June 6-9 vote, when more than 400 million Europeans choose a new five-year parliament, he said.
“When you exaggerate the risk of Ukrainian immigrants, you boost anti-immigration parties,” Kalensky said.

UK vehicles that fall foul of London’s ultra low emission zone (Ulez) rules can be donated to Ukraine rather than being scrapped from next week

Ukrainian air defence units destroyed 35 of the 39 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, the air force said today.

Ukraine has “almost certainly” accelerated the construction of defensive positions on several areas of the front line

Polish farmers plan temporary reprieve from Korczowa border checkpoint blockade until 13 March

Ukrainian trucks blocked on the border from Poland to Ukraine amid Polish truckers’ border blockade. December 2023. Source: slovoidilo

On 9 March, Poland’s border guards informed the Ukrainian side that Polish farmers plan to temporarily stop blocking traffic at the Korczowa-Krakovets checkpoint near the Polish-Ukrainian border until 13 March
- according to the spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, Interfax Ukraine reports.

Following the end of a Polish truckers’ blockade disrupting Ukrainian aid and goods supplies, including drone parts, Polish farmers launched nationwide protests in February. They continue blocking all six border checkpoints, affecting truck movement and disrupting ports and roads. This action benefits Russia by undermining Ukraine’s economy amid its two-year war.
The announced three-day-long suspension of the blockade at one of six checkpoints may provide a very insignificant relief to the gridlock caused by blockades staged by Polish agricultural workers.

Uncertainty looms as Ukrainian border guards remain skeptical about whether the farmers will indeed follow through on lifting the blockade at Poland’s Korczowa checkpoint. Andrii Demchenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, expressed doubts, stating,

“But whether this will be observed, whether they will indeed unblock the Krakovets checkpoint direction until the 13th, we’ll see.”

The situation at the border has been tense, with around 2,300 trucks stranded in queues at various crossing points as of the morning of 9 March. Demchenko highlighted that the most challenging circumstances prevail near the Yahodyn and Shehyni checkpoints, where farmers have effectively halted the passage of trucks bound for Poland. Over the previous day, on 8 March, only some 70 trucks entered Ukraine through Yahodyn and about 20 through Shehyni.

A Russian night-time strike on the east Ukrainian town of Myrnograd wounded at least 11 people, Kyiv said Sunday, while Moscow launched attack drones across the country

Ukrainian drones strike Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft facility in Taganrog Russia

On March 9, 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a sophisticated drone attack on the Beriev Aircraft Company in Taganrog, Russia. This strike targeted a key facility involved in the modernization of Russia's A-50 AWACS aircraft, dealing a significant blow to the Russian military's aerial surveillance capabilities.

One of the Ukrainian kamikaze UAVs detonated 900 meters away from a location where a Russian A-50 long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft had been identified in satellite imagery. (Picture source X account Ukrainian Front)

The Beriev Aircraft Company, a cornerstone of the Russian aviation industry since its founding in 1934 by Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev, specializes in the design and production of amphibious aircraft. Over the decades, it has evolved to serve both civilian and military needs, producing more than 20 different aircraft models, including the A-50.

This latest assault, carried out by a swarm of Ukrainian Liutyi UAVs, reportedly led to the destruction of the facility on the morning of March 9. The operation signifies a notable intensification in Ukraine's military strategy, employing kamikaze drones to inflict considerable damage on Russian military infrastructure.

The city of Taganrog witnessed powerful explosions and the deployment of a large number of these kamikaze drones, underscoring the attack's intensity and precision. Notably, one of these drones detonated merely 900 meters away from a location where an A-50 aircraft was previously identified through satellite imagery, highlighting the targeted nature of the strike.

This event follows a series of engagements between Ukrainian and Russian forces involving the Beriev A-50 aircraft. Notably, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed the downing of an A-50U variant near the Sea of Azov on February 23, 2024,  with a Soviet-era S-200 air defense missile system. A similar incident was reported on January 14, 2024, marking a pattern of strategic targeting by Ukrainian forces against Russian aerial reconnaissance assets.

The full extent of the damage and the broader implications of the attack on Taganrog's Beriev Aircraft Company remains uncertain. However, this bold move by Ukrainian forces represents a significant escalation in their operational tactics, demonstrating a capacity and willingness to strike deep within Russian territory and target critical military assets. This incident not only signifies a tactical evolution in the conflict but also underscores the ongoing volatility and complexity of the situation in the region.

In the ongoing conflict, the decision by Ukrainian forces to target Russian A-50 aircraft underscores a tactical shift towards undermining a critical component of the adversary's military capabilities. The A-50, an advanced Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, plays a pivotal role in the Russian military's ability to conduct all-weather surveillance, command, control, and communications. By focusing on these aircraft, Ukraine aims to significantly impact Russia's operational effectiveness in several key areas.

Firstly, the destruction or incapacitation of A-50s directly affects Russia's airborne command and control capabilities. These aircraft are central to coordinating military operations across vast distances, offering real-time data and communication support to both ground and air units. Without the strategic oversight provided by the A-50, Russian forces may face challenges in maintaining situational awareness, resulting in decreased cohesion and effectiveness in coordinated military efforts.

Moreover, the A-50's role in early warning and surveillance cannot be overstated. It acts as a critical asset for detecting incoming air threats, including aircraft and missiles, thereby enabling preemptive defensive measures. By diminishing Russia's early warning capabilities, Ukraine could gain a tactical advantage, potentially increasing the effectiveness of its own offensive operations and reducing the efficacy of Russian defensive responses.

The targeting strategy also serves as a psychological blow to the Russian military, signaling Ukraine's capability and willingness to strike key assets deep within Russian territory. Such actions not only demonstrate Ukraine's growing military sophistication and resolve but also aim to deter further aggression by showcasing the vulnerabilities in Russian military infrastructure.

Ukraine's focus on neutralizing Russian A-50 aircraft is a calculated move to erode the technological and operational advantages held by its adversary. This approach is indicative of a broader strategy to disrupt key military capabilities, thereby leveling the playing field and potentially altering the course of the conflict in Ukraine's favor.

Closing Summary

• Pope Francis has been criticised after saying Ukraine should have the courage of the “white flag” and negotiate an end to the war with Russia. Some politicians and commentators in Europe reacted with anger after the pontiff appeared to stay silent on Russia’s crimes as aggressor in the invasion, which has killed tens of thousands, and placed the onus on Ukraine to make peace.
  
  
• In response, Ukraine’s minister for foreign affairs, Dmytro Kuleba posted on X:“Our flag is a yellow and blue one. This is the flag by which we live, die, and prevail. We shall never raise any other flags.”
  
  
• British foreign minister David Cameron has said he opposes sending western troops to Ukraine, even for training missions. In an interview with German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung published on Saturday, Cameron said training missions are best carried out abroad. Placing foreign soldiers in Ukraine would provide targets for Russia.
  
  
• Russian shelling of towns in eastern Ukraine killed three people on Sunday while a Moscow strike on a residential building in the town of Myrnograd wounded a dozen, Kyiv said.
  
  
• Ukraine also said Moscow launched missile attacks on the northeastern Kharkiv region and sent attack drones across the centre and south of the country.
  
  
• Russia, meanwhile, said one woman was killed in Ukrainian shelling of a border village.
  
  
• A fire broke out at an oil depot in Russia’s Kursk Oblast after a Ukrainian drone was shot down over its grounds, Roman Starovoit, the region’s governor, claimed on March 10, according to a report in the Kyiv Independent, which said it could not verify the information. Starovoit did not include any information on any casualties or damage to the oil depot.
  
  
• Ukraine has “almost certainly” accelerated the construction of defensive positions on several areas of the front line, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence update. This includes anti-tank dragon’s teeth and ditches, infantry trenches, minefields and fortified defensive positions. The update adds this is indicative of the “attritional character” of the conflict, and attempts to breach “will highly likely be accompanied with high losses”.
  
  
• Ukrainian air defence units destroyed 35 of the 39 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, the air force said today. The drones were launched from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai region, the Kyiv Independent reports.
  
  
• Turkish and US officials have held comprehensive talks about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and various bilateral issues during meetings in Washington, Turkey’s foreign minister said late on Friday. Hakan Fidan said he discussed ways to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with officials including US counterpart Antony Blinken, reiterating that Ankara believed it is time to discuss paths toward an end to the war but that Turkey did not see this willingness from Kyiv and Moscow. “We need a basis for talking, for this war to stop, and a dialogue to prevent worse crises, and we call for this,” Fidan said.
  
  
• UK vehicles that fall foul of London’s ultra low emission zone (Ulez) rules can be donated to Ukraine rather than being scrapped from next week, PA reports. Applicants will be able to donate vehicles in return for the same grant payment available to drivers who scrap or retrofit their vehicles - up to £2,000 - Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced.
  
  
• A Moscow court has sentenced a student to 10 days in jail after he renamed his wifi network with a pro-Kyiv slogan during the military offensive in Ukraine, the Ria-Novosti news agency reported on Saturday. The student at Moscow State University replaced the name of the network from his wifi router with Slava Ukraini, meaning ‘Glory to Ukraine’, the rallying cry of Ukraine forces.