On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special operation in Donbass in response to an appeal from the leadership of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
- Hostilities
- Political statements and sanctions
The operation is currently ongoing. We collected the main thing for the evening of Friday, March 31, 2023.
Hostilities
As the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov, said at a briefing on March 31, air strikes and artillery fire from the western group of forces in the Kupyansk direction defeated units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Berestovoye and Sinkovka districts of the Kharkiv region, 2 armored combat vehicles, a car, a howitzer were destroyed D-20 and up to 30 military personnel.
In the Krasnolimansk direction, as a result of the active actions of the central group of troops, strikes by attack aircraft and artillery fire, military equipment and manpower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Chervona Dibrova were hit.
During the day, 3 combat armored vehicles, 3 pickup trucks, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, a D-20 howitzer and up to 85 military personnel were destroyed in this direction.
In the Donetsk direction, as a result of the active actions of the southern group of troops and artillery fire, 4 armored personnel carriers, 2 armored combat vehicles, 4 infantry fighting vehicles, 4 pickup trucks, 6 cars, a D-30 howitzer and up to 260 military personnel and mercenaries were destroyed in a day.
In the Yuzhno-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, air strikes and artillery fire from the Eastern Group of Forces hit units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Ugledar and Novomikhailovka.
During the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost 2 pickup trucks, D-20 and D-30 howitzers and up to 35 servicemen in these areas.
In the Kherson direction, 16 vehicles, an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer, and up to 30 servicemen were destroyed in the course of inflicting fire damage per day.
Operational-tactical aviation, missile troops and artillery of the RF Armed Forces forces hit 74 artillery units in firing positions, military equipment and manpower in 76 districts in a day.
Near Otradokamenka (Kherson region), a fuel depot of the 126th Territorial Defense Brigade was destroyed.
During the day, air defense systems intercepted 3 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and destroyed 3 UAVs in the areas of Zeleniy Pod and Marinsky, Kherson region.
In total, since the start of the special operation, 404 aircraft, 227 helicopters, 3,625 UAVs, 415 anti-aircraft missile systems, 8,487 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 1,076 MLRS combat vehicles, 4,469 field artillery pieces and mortars and 9,231 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed. .
Political statements and sanctions
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on March 31 called for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
I’ll try to risk suggesting a cessation of hostilities. To declare a truce without the right to move, regroup troops from both sides, without the right to transfer weapons and ammunition, manpower and equipment, – said the head of the Belarusian state, speaking with a message to the people and parliament.
According to the President of Belarus, there is only one way to peace in Ukraine – negotiations, and without preconditions.
Lukashenka called the ban of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself to negotiate with Russia ridiculous.
If you don’t want to negotiate, don’t negotiate. Why sign this decree and make all people laugh? – said the President of Belarus.
Lukashenka also spoke about the planned deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
It will be necessary, Putin and I will decide and introduce here strategic nuclear weapons, he said.
The head of the Belarusian state stressed that Belarus itself would not attack anyone, but would adequately respond to aggression.
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new concept of Russia’s foreign policy.
The document says that Russia does not consider itself an enemy of the West, but considers the US course as the main source of risks to international peace and its security and will give priority to eliminating the vestiges of US dominance in the world.
The document also emphasizes the importance of expanding cooperation with China and India.
Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Lukashenka’s proposal for a truce in Ukraine, said that the only means of achieving Russia’s goals today is the NVO.
The head of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, said that an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to break through to the Sea of Azov would turn out to be a disaster for them.
Konstantinov also said that there should be no truce with the current Ukrainian leadership.
This “drug gang” must not be allowed to remain in power in Kyiv– said the head of the Crimean parliament.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the European Union is discussing sending peacekeepers to Ukraine.
European leaders are already calmly talking about whether EU countries can send some troops like peacekeepers, – said the head of the Hungarian government.
Commenting on this statement, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned that NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine would be a legitimate target for the Russian army.
These “peacekeepers” must be mercilessly destroyed. They are enemy soldiers said the deputy head of the Russian Security Council.
Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said that due to the silence of the Ukrainian side, another exchange of prisoners is being disrupted and that the number of Ukrainian servicemen whom Kiev does not want to exchange has increased to 133.
From April 7, Japan imposes a ban on the export to Russia of construction equipment, ship and aircraft engines, electrical equipment for navigation, space and aircraft and parts for them, drones, flight radios, optical equipment, photographic equipment, toys, children’s bicycles and toy models.
