Embassy of Ukraine in the USA
WAR BULLETIN
March 21, 7.30pm EST
WAR ROOM
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The twenty-sixth day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the Russian military invasion continues.
Russian troops operating in Ukraine are in dire need of repairing and rebuilding damaged weapons and military equipment.
Due to the lack of receipts of foreign-made components, the work of the enterprises of the Uralzavod Corporation and the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant has been suspended. These companies specialize in the manufacture and repair of tanks and other armored vehicles for the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
Cases of desertion among the personnel of the Russian forces continue to be recorded. Thus, in the area of the settlement of Gavronshchyna, Makariv district, Kyiv oblast, a group of Russian invaders seized the cars of local residents, changed into looted civilian clothes and drove towards the border with the republic of Belarus.
Continuing illegal activities in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhya region, in some settlements the invaders are making covert preparations for the elections of the pro-Russian administration of districts and cities.
In order to organize the so-called "Russian humanitarian convoys", Russian forces concentrated in the port of Berdyansk a column of white KAMAZ tilts trucks of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. Such trucks were used for covert transportation of ammunition to the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This may indicate the intention of the occupiers to organize similar "humanitarian convoys" in the Zaporizhzhya region.
During the fighting, the enemy temporarily holds the land corridor with the occupied Crimea and blocks access to the Sea of Azov.
Having lost its offensive potential, the Russian occupation forces continue to form and move reserves from the depths of the Russian federation to the borders of Ukraine.
Due to the large irreversible and sanitary losses of personnel (including command) in the armed forces of the Russian federation, the planned discharge of officers, ensigns and sergeants from military service has been suspended.
The military-political leadership of the Russian federation is carrying out aggressive propaganda activities aimed at servicemen of the Armed Forces of the republic of Belarus regarding the need for military invasion of the territory of Ukraine.
In Polissya, during the day, the enemy tried to intensify offensive operations in several areas, suffered losses, but did not succeed. Continues to conduct air reconnaissance in order to find optimal ways to improve its position.
In the Northern direction, the enemy is not conducting active offensive operations, continues to restore offensive capabilities by introducing additional units on the territory of Ukraine, including a battalion tactical group from the 90th Tank Division.
Units of the invader continue to shell Chernihiv and other settlements, do not abandon attempts to attack in the direction of Brovary, but due to losses, have no success in advancing. They are trying to replenish stocks and conduct reconnaissance.
In the Slobozhansky direction the enemy does not carry out active offensive actions, continues to partially block the city of Sumy, carries out artillery shelling of the city of Kharkiv. Occupation forces are trying to rebuild the railway section from Valuyki to Kupyansk in order to improve the logistics of the group.
In the Donetsk and Luhansk directions, the enemy continues to try to advance and gain a foothold, but was unsuccessful.
Ukrainian defenders repulsed 13 enemy attacks and destroyed 14 tanks, 8 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 multi-purpose towing vehicle light armored, 3 artillery systems and 4 vehicles. Air defense units hit 2 enemy air targets. The losses of enemy personnel amounted to about 300 people (losses are being clarified).
Defenders of Mariupol destroyed the patrol boat "Raptor" and the electronic warfare complex "Leer-3".
In the South Buh direction, the occupiers have taken defensive action, are taking measures to restore combat capability, trying to restore damaged armored vehicles.
In the Mykolayiv direction, owing to counterattack of divisions of Armed Forces of Ukraine, the enemy is compelled to retreat to unfavorable borders.
So, during the day, thanks to the heroic actions of our defenders, the state flag of Ukraine was raised over the city of Makarov, the enemy was rejected.
Enemy aircraft continue to destroy missile and bombings of infrastructure in Ukraine in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts. At the same time, the occupiers continue to actively use the airfield network of the republic of Belarus.
It is expected that the enemy will continue to launch insidious missile and bomb strikes and carry out artillery shelling of critical infrastructure of Ukraine using jet artillery, aircraft, high-precision weapons and indiscriminate munitions.
Occupying troops operating in Ukraine are in dire need of repairing and rebuilding damaged weapons and military equipment.
According to the available information, due to the lack of receipts of foreign-made components, the work of the enterprises of the Uralzavod Corporation and the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant has been suspended. These companies specialize in the manufacture and repair of tanks and other armored vehicles for the armed forces of the Russian federation.
Cases of desertion among the personnel of the occupying forces continue to be recorded. Thus, in the area of the settlement of Gavronshchyna, Makariv district, Kyiv oblast, a group of Russian invaders seized the cars of local residents, changed into looted civilian clothes, and drove towards the border with the republic of belarus.
Continuing illegal activities in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhya region, in some settlements the invaders are making covert preparations for the elections of the pro-Russian administration of districts and cities.
In order to organize the so-called "Russian humanitarian convoys", the occupiers concentrated in the port of Berdyansk a column of white KAMAZ tilts trucks of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian federation. Such trucks were used for covert transportation of ammunition to the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This may indicate the intention of the occupiers to organize similar "humanitarian convoys" in the Zaporizhya region.
On the territory of one of the settlements of this region, the enemy deployed a point for the repair of armored vehicles with the involvement of equipment and workers of defense enterprises of the Russian federation. Up to 20 units of armored vehicles are under restoration.
In Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, the occupiers are checking documents at city checkpoints to identify and detain local residents who participated in the anti-terrorist operation / joint Forces Operation.
In addition to heavy casualties during the fighting, there is also a high death rate among the badly wounded Russian invaders.
Minister of Defence of Ukraine
The Kremlin no longer knows how to explain what is happening. After all, during these days they buried more soldiers in the regions of Russia than officially admitted their losses. Lies no longer help them, but the truth scares them.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, our soldiers have shot down almost 100 planes and 120 helicopters, destroyed almost 500 tanks and one and a half thousand Russian armored combat vehicles.
That is why Russia is gathering mercenaries around the world and making desperate attempts to push Belarusian troops into the hell of war with Ukraine.
Residents of Kherson, Energodar and other cities protesting without weapons against the Russian occupiers demonstrate that the will of the Ukrainian people is unshakable.
https://bit.ly/3qpaiwx
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
The Humanitarian Aid website https://help.gov.ua is made for everyone who wants to help Ukraine.
Here you can get the following information:
• how to send and to whom address humanitarian aid
• how to transfer funds to support army or to help affected civilians
• contacts of foreign and Ukrainian humanitarian hubs, etc
The platform was developed by Office of the President of Ukraine and Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Join, share https://www.facebook.com/wearefromukraine/
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Fighting in Luhansk oblast continues. As of the morning of March 21, 12 houses destroyed by the Russians, two persons wounded, and five rescued from the rubble.
The situation with communications in the region is critical. However, the electricians managed to restore the electricity in the Girska community and to re-establish mobile communications.
The police have recorded two cases of rockets falling near Zhytomyr and Korostyshiv. Investigative and operative groups worked at the scene collecting evidences of war crimes.
Police document war crimes after shelling of the coastal zone of Odesa region. As a result of criminal actions of enemy forces in Odesa, several private houses were destroyed, a high-rise building in one of the residential complexes was damaged, one person was injured.
Prosecutor’s General Office of Ukraine
On the March 21, Prosecutor’s General Office opened investigations on following war crimes of Russian fascists:
1) a rocket attack on the Podil district of the capital of Ukraine;
2) shelling of civilians in: Popasna district, Luhansk Region, Avdiivka, Donetsk Region, village of Hannivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, village of Kamyanske in the Zaporizhzhia region;
3) seizure of the premises of the Shchastyn City Military-Civil Administration;
4) abduction of employee of the Melitopol Information editorial office;
5) hijacking of 5 Ukrainian ships from the seaport of Berdyansk;
6) participation in the organization of the occupying authorities in the city of Berdyansk.
As of the morning of March 21, the official number of child victims - 115 deaths as a result of armed aggression by the Russian Federation. The number of injured children increased to 148. The largest number of victims was in the following regions: Kyiv - 58, Kharkiv - 38, Donetsk - 29, Chernihiv - 31, Mykolaiv - 22, Kyiv - 16, Zhytomyr - 15, Kherson - 15 and Sumy - 14.
The bombings and shelling have so far damaged 530 educational institutions, 72 of which have been completely destroyed. The most damage was done in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kyiv, Kherson, Chernihiv and Kyiv. In addition to that, more than 40 children's facilities were destroyed and damaged, including medical facilities, art schools, sports facilities, and libraries.
Russian forces are not only killing Ukrainian children; they are kidnapping them - forcibly transferring to Russia. On March 12, Russian fascists took 2,389 children from the temporarily occupied districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Prosecutors qualified these actions as forced transfer of civilians, in particular children, to the territory of the aggressor State. Under the Ukrainian Criminal Code, this is a violation of the laws and customs of war (Article 438 (1) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code).
Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights
Mass abductions of local authorities and residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are continuing by Russian militants. So far, 5 cases of illegal detentions of local government officials by the Russian military have been recorded in the Chernihiv region.
The Russian military captured a humanitarian convoy moving towards Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. The convoy also included ambulances, evacuation buses and two trucks of 20 tons with humanitarian cargo. Six people are in captivity - drivers and ambulance doctors.
As a result of the Russian military invasion, some settlements in Ukraine have been under occupation and on the verge of survival for three weeks now.
Trostianets in the Sumy region has been occupied and completely surrounded from all sides.
The head of the street committee, Hanna Samoilova, was killed, and for several days snipers fired on the street, preventing residents from taking the body for burial. The other day, a guy who was returning home in the evening was shot dead on the street. The head of the agricultural enterprise, who was driving to work in the morning, was shot to death. A grenade was thrown at people on one of the streets. The blast killed two men.
Yesterday, heavy artillery fired on residential buildings. The occupiers actually destroyed several houses and killed three pensioners who lived there.
In the temporarily occupied territories, the enemy forcibly mobilizes men under the age of 65 and students.
Mobilization of the population has been announced on local television in the occupied territories of Luhansk region. In order to increase the number of potential "conscripts", the occupiers are raising the age limit for "conscripts" to 65 years.
POLICY
President of Ukraine
Key messages of the President Address to the citizens of Germany
The sound of sirens is something that Ukraine hears for hours, for 25 days in a row, and following what Ukrainians have to go to shelter immediately to save lives from the Russian missile rockets and air bombs. They work, sleep, give birth to children, heal wounds and die accompanied by this sound.
Thousands of the Ukrainians died in this violent war of Russia against our state.
Before the war, Kyiv – the capital of Ukraine, was usually called “a new Berlin” while comparing the openness, emotions, freedom, clubs and parties.
Now Kyiv is closed and silent, waiting for another siren to go off, which will make people hide in shelters.
Unfortunately, at the moment we cannot gather like you did, or live like you, as we are fighting for our salvation against one of the biggest armies in the world.
Ukraine is fighting for you. We are fighting against the occupants that kill civilians, create manmade hunger, fire down residential blocks.
In three weeks of war, 115 children died already. This is the scariest war in Europe since the end of II World War.
Ukrainians are a part of Europe, you see our desire to be a part of the EU. You have the power to make your politicians accept us to the EU.
Europe has a much stronger power than rockets and tanks. Without trade with you and your banks Russia will not have money for this war.
We have warned your politicians that it is dangerous when it is being decided by Moscow whether to provide you with gas and how much does it cost. We have told you that the sanctions are needed to avoid the war. When the Russian rockets hit 20 km away from the NATO borders, and when Russian tanks were shooting strait at the nuclear power plant, then finally everyone understood Ukraine should be listened at and supported, as your lives depend on it, too.
Please do not sponsor the Russian military machine. Not a single euro to the occupants. Close all of your ports to them. Do not supply them with goods. Reject the Russian energy sources. Push on Russia to go away from Ukraine.
President Address to Ukrainians
In this video, I want to appeal separately to the Ukrainian cities and the brave inhabitants of these cities. To the free south of Ukraine, where the sun shines only to welcome guests, not to random "tourists" on tanks. To Berdyansk, Kakhovka, Enerhodar, Melitopol and, of course, Kherson.
To Kherson, where today we saw slaves shooting at free people. Slaves of propaganda that replaces their consciousness. Slaves who used to pack everyone in paddy wagons. Even an old woman with a clean white poster. Even a girl with an A4 sheet on which only one word is written - "peace".
These slaves sent by Russia have never seen so many free people in the squares and streets. They have never seen thousands of people who are not afraid of them, of slaves with weapons in their hands. Slaves perceive freedom as savagery, as danger. They are scared. The fear that propagandists know how to turn into hatred. And then - shots at peaceful free people.
Kherson, hold on! We will never forget these shots. Shots from your city. We were all with you in your square and streets. 40 million Ukrainians of our state. Millions and millions of Ukrainians in the world. We've all seen you stand. We’ve seen who you are. We have all felt how you want to regain your freedom. On land, where, watching the Milky Way, the Chumaks went for salt, the enemies felt terrible.
And as soon as we can break through to you, every occupier who shot at peaceful Kherson residents just for the blue-yellow color will have a black stripe.
Same awaits the Russian military pale from the fright who were driven out today in Enerhodar. Peaceful Ukrainians drove them out with bare hands.
The occupiers in Berdyansk, Melitopol and Kakhovka will have a black stripe. Wherever the occupiers kidnap our people. Those who they think are organizing the resistance. But we are not Russia. Remember. And there is no need to organize resistance here. Resistance for Ukrainians is a feature of the soul. And I really want you, all our Ukrainians in the south, to never think even for a moment that Ukraine does not remember you.
Whenever you are in pain, when you resist in spite of everything, please know that our hearts are broken at this time, because we are not with you.
And we ask God to support you until we can drive strangers out. This is a feat that you are protesting. This is happiness that we have such people. That we are all Ukraine.
During this invasion, heroes have constantly declared themselves among millions of our people. Once - ordinary Ukrainians, and now - fighters. Men and women who stand up for our state. Everywhere: in the south, in the east, in the north, in the center, in the west and abroad. Stand up so that the enemy does not believe that this is a reality.
But we will make them believe. And we will make them remember that they are not welcome.
And they will never be. In Kyiv, which stands bravely and majestically above the Dnieper. In Kharkiv... Proud, tidy, educated Kharkiv. Which they beat, and it does not obey. Chernihiv. Ancient! Chernihiv, which since the time of the Horde has not faced such atrocities committed by the Russian military now.
Sumy, Okhtyrka and Lebedyn... Izyum, Derhachi ... Volnovakha, Popasna... Borodyanka, Hostomel, Makariv... Mykolaiv...
Mariupol! Hardworking and honest city! Mariupol. Which the occupiers are simply destroying. Destroying to ashes. But it will survive them all. Worthless slaves who do not know how to take care of their own country. Of their own people. And they go to someone else's.
We are fighting for every Ukrainian! And we remember everyone! We are grateful to everyone. Both to the people and to these beautiful cities.
As well as to Lviv, as well as to Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Lutsk, our Uzhhorod... Kropyvnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih... Vinnytsia, Rivne... Cherkasy, Poltava... Odesa!
Those who may be infrequently mentioned in speeches. But who care about our common future. About Ukraine. And about freedom - for each of us. Who shelter people who have been forced to leave their home. Who work for defense. Who send humanitarian goods. Who deploy the evacuated businesses. Who heal, who help. Help all of us, and therefore themselves.
Great people of great Ukraine!
And I say this not accidentally - great Ukraine. Because I appeal to everyone in our country and to those abroad. In cities and villages. Those who are free and who are temporarily under occupation. In Crimea, in Donetsk, in Luhansk. Where they must also fight for freedom, not sit and wait.
I appeal to all Ukrainians. Wherever we are. Do everything to protect our state.
To save our people. Fight. Fight and help. Drive these slaves out! Drive the occupiers out! So that Ukraine lives. So that all of us live with it.
Prime Minister of Ukraine
Address to Ukrainians
Having failed all plans to occupy Ukraine, the Russian aggressor resorted to outright genocide of the civilian population of Ukraine.
In the last two days alone, the enemy has bombed from air the House of Arts in Mariupol. They opened direct fire from tanks at a nursing home in Luhansk region. In Trostyanets, Sumy region, the occupiers threw a live grenade at civilians. In Kyiv, a shopping center where civilian population were hiding was attacked from the air.
As a result of the war, millions of Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes. Millions were left homeless. This is our reality that the entire civilized world can already see.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a substantial program to help Ukrainians who were forced to escape from their war-torn towns.
The Government has embarked on implementation of this program.
Money, jobs, housing are the three main directions covered by this program.
First. Money. The state will pay each displaced in Ukraine a minimum monthly allowance of 2,000 hryvnias. Simply, through the Diia, to the bank account. No extra documents. Avoiding bureaucracy. For all the citizens who moved from areas of active hostilities.
Also, a 3,000 hryvnas resource will be paid for each child who was forced to move to safer regions because of the war and all those atrocities.
Second. Jobs. We are launching an employment program for all the displaced persons. To do this, the state commences payment of benefits to those employers who hire IDPs from the affected regions.
A 6,500 hryvnias sum for each employee. These funds will be spent by employers on the salaries for such employees.
I will appeal to entrepreneurs again.
The state supports you in your desire to continue working where it is safe. Complete deregulation of business, simplification of the tax system, affordable loans.
Now the Government bears part of the resources for paying wages to those people who need work. Hence, let's get work! I urge everyone to start working, to admit people, to provide them with work.
Third. Housing. A week ago, the Government adopted a decision on a mechanism to reimburse utility costs to communities that provide free shelter to IDPs in schools, kindergartens, cultural centers and municipal institutions.
We are now working to supplement the program so that families receiving displaced persons in their homes can also get compensation for utility bills.
All those who responded to the hardship the IDPs face, provided them with shelter for free, will receive 450 UAH per month for each of those whom they helped to compensate while paying for utilities.
All the three programs have already been approved by the Government of Ukraine. Their implementation triggers today, March 21, with the registration of temporary displaced persons by territorial communities and CASPs.
Registration through the Diia will be available starting March 30.
And after the war ends we will rebuild everything. Every building, every apartment, every facility. And everyone will have a chance to return home.
But everyone who today has found shelter, work and everything necessary for life in this time of trials will forever keep in their hearts the memory of and gratitude to those hospitable communities and people.
The Government has embarked on implementation of a program of the President of Ukraine to support Ukrainian citizens who were forced to flee their war-torn regions.
The state will pay each displaced in Ukraine a minimum monthly allowance of 2,000 hryvnias. The payments will be made through the Diia application to the bank account.
Besides, the Government launches an employment program for all the displaced persons. To do this, the state commences payment of benefits worth 6,500 hryvnias each to those employers who hire IDPs from the affected regions.