War between Russia and Ukraine: list of important events, day 387

By William On Mar 17, 2023

As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its 387th day, we take a look at the main developments.

This is the state of affairs on Friday, March 17, 2023:

US drone incident

The Pentagon has released video from Tuesday’s interception of its drone over the Black Sea, showing a Russian Su-27 fighter jet coming very close to the United States’ drone.
Russia has denied there was a collision, saying the drone crashed after making “sharp maneuvers” after flying “provocatively” close to Russian airspace near Crimea.
The Kremlin said its military would decide whether to try to collect the drone debris.

Kiev forces continued to resist Russian attacks on the now-devastated salt mining town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
Russian attempts to take Bakhmut are “difficult” and there are no signs Ukraine is ready to withdraw, said the Russian-installed leader of Ukraine’s semi-occupied Donetsk region.
Ukraine revealed it shot down a Chinese-built drone near Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has committed a “wide range” of war crimes in Ukraine, according to the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, an investigative body mandated by the United Nations. Russia rejected the report.
China hopes that Russia and Ukraine will hold peace talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said in a phone call to his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday. According to a statement from China’s foreign ministry, Beijing hopes that “all parties will remain calm, rational and restrained”.
Kuleba said the discussions were about “the meaning of the principle of territorial integrity” and that he had repeated Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy’s formula for restoring peace.
The UN has backed Turkey and Ukraine’s call for a 120-day extension of the Black Sea grain deal after Russia said it would only extend the deal for 60 days.
Poland said it has detained nine people from a suspected Russian spy gang who planned to disrupt arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Poland will send four MIG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming days, Polish President Andrzej Duda said.
Poland’s decision to hand over the MIGs is a “sovereign decision” that will not prompt US President Joe Biden to supply Kiev with US F-16s, the White House said.