Main developments in the war situation in Russia

The Russian military says it used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to destroy an weapons depot near the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine. This is the first time Russia has used this missile system in a special military operation in Ukraine. The Kinzhal hypersonic missile is said to be able to penetrate any air defense system by traveling at a maximum speed of up to Mach 10 and continuously maneuvering throughout its flight.

Russia-Ukraine negotiations will last a few weeks: Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said Ukraine’s talks with Russia could last at least “a few weeks”, although there are signs that Russia’s position has become consistent. more suitable.

According to the head of the Russian delegation V. Medinsky, Ukraine’s neutrality regime and its failure to join NATO were the topics that Moscow and Kiev brought up in the negotiations.

Ukraine warns of consequences if Russia delays talks: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 19 called on Russia to participate in peace talks peacefully “without delay”and warned that by failing to do so, Russia’s losses would be “very big”.

In a new message posted on the video, Mr. Zelensky stated: “Negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine, need to be carried out in a meaningful way, fairly and without delay. This is the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage caused by its mistakes.”

The Putin-Zelensky meeting depends on the format of the peace agreement: RT quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying that a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky depends on the format of the peace agreement they will sign.

Responding to a press question about whether the document on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine requires both leaders to sign it in person, Dmitry Peskov stressed that. “depending on the format of this document but so far it has not been agreed”.

EU is about to meet on Ukraine situation: Media citing diplomatic sources from Europe on March 18 reported that the foreign ministers and defense ministers of the European Union (EU) member states will meet at the beginning of next week (March 21), to discuss about the situation in Ukraine.

Russia blocks Ukraine from accessing the Sea of ​​Azov: Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on March 18 that its forces had temporarily lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov as the Russian military tightened a siege around the large coastal port of Mariupol.

The statement of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine states: “Russian forces have been partially successful in the Donetsk region, temporarily blocking access to Ukraine’s Sea of ​​Azov”. However, the ministry did not specify whether Ukrainian forces would regain access to the waters.

Russia asks the West to stop arms aid, not to send mercenaries to Ukraine: Speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament Vyacheslav Volodin on March 19 asked the US and other NATO members to stop supplying weapons and not send mercenaries to Ukraine.

This official believes that mercenaries in the ranks of Ukrainian forces are “recruitment on the territory of the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and with the consent of the leaders of these countries”.