As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its 382nd day, we take a look at the main developments.
This is the state of affairs on Sunday, March 12, 2023:
To fight
- Russian shelling of Kherson in southern Ukraine killed three civilians on Saturday and another in eastern Donetsk region, regional officials said.
- Ukraine will fight on in the devastated city of Bakhmut as the battle there traps and degrades Russia’s best units ahead of a planned spring Ukrainian counter-offensive, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
- Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said his private army of Wagner has opened recruiting centers in 42 cities as he tries to replenish his ranks after heavy losses in the battle for Bakhmut.
Diplomacy
- Iran has reached an agreement to buy advanced Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, Iranian state media said, expanding a relationship in which Iranian-built drones have been used in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- The United Kingdom government has written to the sponsors of the Olympic Games, urging them to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over its proposal to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in the Paris Games next year, British media reported.
- The European Union could soon replenish the fund used to purchase weapons for Ukraine with $3.7 billion, a senior EU official said.
- The United States accused Russia of trying to destabilize Moldova and said it would help the Eastern European country fight such attempts by sharing information and providing other assistance, the White House said.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week on the sidelines of India’s G20 foreign ministers’ meeting was “constructive”, but he heard nothing new from American side.
Economy
- The Group of Seven (G7) and other like-minded organizations renewed their pledge to support Ukraine’s energy sector, Japan’s foreign ministry said.
- Canada has banned the import of all Russian aluminum and steel products in an effort to deny Moscow the ability to finance its war against Ukraine.