Ukrainian forces are in a “difficult” situation near the town of Chassiv Iar (east) where Russia is concentrating its offensive, the Ukrainian army announced on Monday March 25. Moscow has made progress on the front in recent months, pushing its advantage as kyiv faces a shortage of munitions supplied by its Western allies.
Information to remember
⇒ The Ukrainian army in difficulty in Chassiv Iar (East).
⇒ Ten people were injured on Monday March 25 by debris from Russian missiles shot down in kyiv.
⇒ Putin admits an “Islamist” attack in Moscow but accuses Ukraine of being the “sponsor” of it.
Putin admits “Islamist” attack in Moscow but blames Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time, Monday March 25, that Friday’s attack on a concert hall near Moscow, claimed by the Islamic State group, had been committed by “radical Islamists.” But he implied that the attack could have a link with kyiv and its supporters.
“We know who committed this atrocity against Russia and its people. What interests us is who ordered it,” he added. He then repeated that the attackers, after the attack which left at least 139 dead, according to a new report, had tried to flee towards Ukrainian territory before being arrested.
“Difficult” situation for the Ukrainian army in Chasiv Yar
The front has remained largely frozen for more than a year, with neither side achieving a real breakthrough, but kyiv has been on the defensive for several months due to a lack of ammunition. The Ukrainian army announced on Monday evening March 25 that the situation was “difficult and tense” in the east around the town of Chassiv Iar.
“Today it is the focus point of the enemy in its assault operations. He is trying to break through our defenses to reach Chasiv Yar,” said Oleg Kalashnikov, press officer of the 26th artillery brigade Ukrainian. He said Russia had intensified the use of powerful guided bombs in the area and “dropped them on populated areas and our fortified positions.”
Ukrainian capital targeted by missiles on Monday
Ten people were injured on Monday March 25 by debris from Russian missiles shot down in kyiv, further proof, according to Ukraine, of its “urgent” need for anti-aircraft defense systems supplied by the West. This is the third air attack on the capital in five days. According to the head of kyiv’s military administration, Serguii Popko, two ballistic missiles launched from annexed Crimea “were destroyed”.
Explosions were heard just after an air alert siren by AFP journalists on Monday morning, around 08:30 GMT. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 10 people were injured. Emergency services released photos of seriously damaged buildings, as well as a crater near a house.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba, urged on Monday the delivery of American Patriot anti-aircraft systems “capable of repelling any Russian attack”.
Odessa without electricity
Russia has increased bombings of its neighbor in recent weeks, particularly targeting energy infrastructure, in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on its border regions.
In Odessa, 300,000 people remained without electricity Monday evening following attacks that damaged energy infrastructure, according to regional authorities.
Attacks on Russian power plants and refineries
In Russia, air attacks against Russian border regions have increased in recent weeks, causing several deaths in Belgorod. Groups of fighters, posing as Russian anti-Kremlin volunteers, have also carried out armed incursions that Moscow said it repelled.
In Russia, a fire broke out at a major power plant in the Rostov region, the local governor said, following a series of Ukrainian drone attacks in the region. Two units at the Novocherkassk power plant, one of the largest in southwestern Russia, have been taken out of service, Governor Vasily Golubev said in a message published on Telegram.
The head of the Ukrainian special services, Vassyl Maliouk, for his part claimed 13 attacks to date against Russian refineries with “long-range drones”, in an interview on Ukrainian television.
kyiv ready to control its agricultural exports to Poland
Kiev is ready to establish a licensing system governing its agricultural exports to provide assurances to Warsaw, Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture Mykola Solsky told AFP on Monday, “disappointed” with the restrictions imposed by the EU on products. from his country. “We are ready to accept an export licensing system” for products destined for Poland, “but only for four types of cereals. We already have a similar system with Romania and Bulgaria,” he said. he underlined, on the eve of a meeting in Brussels with his counterparts from the Twenty-Seven.
Since February, Polish farmers have been blocking border crossings with Ukraine to protest against “unfair” competition from foodstuffs flowing from the country at war, exempt from customs duties by the EU since 2022. And Warsaw is calling for a cap on cereals Ukrainians, after having applied a unilateral embargo to them in 2023.