Russia-Ukraine war updates for March 19, 2022

Russia stated it has actually utilized hypersonic Kinzhal, or Dagger, rockets to damage a weapons depot in Ukraine’s western Ivano-Frankivsk area, Reuters reports.

It was the very first time Russia had actually released its hypersonic Kinzhal system because the start of the war, Russia’s Interfax news company stated.

Defense ministry representative Igor Konashenkov informed a rundown that the underground depot struck by the Kinzhal system on Friday housed Ukrainian rockets and airplane ammo. Reuters stated it was unable to separately confirm Konashenkov’s remarks.

— Terri Cullen

Ukrainian authorities have actually not observed any thorough shifts in front-line locations over the past 24 hours, according to a consultant to Ukraine’s governmental workplace.

Reuters reports that Oleksiy Arestovych stated in a video address Saturday that combating was continuous. They pointed out the cities of Mariupol, Mykolaiv and Kherson as amongst the hotspots where Russian soldiers were on the offensive.

— Sam Meredith

Ukraine’s armed force has actually bought a 38- hour curfew in the southern city of Zaporizhzhya, beginning at 2 p.m. London time on Saturday and ending early onMonday

“Do not go outside at this time!” Deputy mayor Anatoliy Kurtiev stated, according toReuters

— Sam Meredith

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has stated the nation wishes to leave residents through 10 humanitarian passages from cities and towns on the cutting edge of Russia’s intrusion.

A passage had actually been concurred for the besieged city of Mariupol, Vereshchuk stated, according toReuters Previous tries to protect safe passage for civilians under a momentary ceasefire have actually mainly stopped working, with Russia and Ukraine blaming one another.

It has actually been reported approximately 350,000 individuals are safeguarding in the southeastern city of Mariupol, without any access to food or water.

— Sam Meredith

The United Nations has actually reported 2,149 civilian casualties in Ukraine because Russia introduced its intrusion over 3 weeks earlier, with 816 eliminated and 1,333 hurt.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights thinks the real figures are most likely substantially greater, especially offered extreme hostilities in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv areas in current days.

Most of the civilian casualties taped up until now were brought on by making use of explosive weapons with a large effect location, the U.N. stated, consisting of shelling and rocket and air campaign.

— Sam Meredith

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store stated 4 American soldiers have actually passed away in an aircraft crash while taking part in a NATO military workout called Cold Response.

“It is with terrific unhappiness we have [received] the message that 4 American soldiers passed away in an aircraft crash last night,” Store stated through Twitter on Saturday early morning.

“The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response. Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers’ families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit.”

Local authorities were stated to be examining the reason for the crash, Reuters reported, although bad weather condition had actually stalled their work.

— Sam Meredith

The U.K. Defense Ministry has actually alerted Russia will likely turn to the “indiscriminate use of firepower” after stopping working to accomplish its initial goals up until now.

“Russia has been forced to change its operational approach and is now pursuing a strategy of attrition,” the U.K. Defense Ministry said in a Twitter post.

As an outcome of the modification in methods, Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis might intensify as civilian casualties climb and more facilities is ruined, it alerted.

The Defense Ministry repeated that Moscow “has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian Resistance.”

— Joanna Tan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has actually prompted Russia to come to the table for talks.

“Meaningful peace and security talks for Ukraine are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes,” he stated a video address on Saturday.

“It’s time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated. “Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such that you will not have several generations to rise.”

— Joanna Tan

Biden held an almost two-hour telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping to talk about Russia’s intrusion of Ukraine.

Both Biden and Xi settled on the requirement to promote peace and help with the humanitarian catastrophe produced by the intrusion. But they disagreed deeply on who is accountable for the suffering in Ukraine, with the Chinese leader declining to hold Russia singularly responsible for the unprovoked intrusion.

Instead, main readouts from Beijing made it clear that Xi’s position was that the U.S. and Europe had actually provoked Russian President Vladimir Putin into assaulting Ukraine by broadening NATO into Eastern Europe.

During the call, Biden “described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia,” the White House stated.

— Christina Wilkie