Ukrainian War, Day 743 – 2024-03-08 08:55:28

Russia denies that it “targeted” Zelensky’s motorcade in Odessa

Russia denies that Wednesday’s explosion near the motorcade of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a targeted attack.

Several media reported the explosion in Odessa, Ukraine, when Zelenskyi was meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Neither the Greek nor the Ukrainian delegation was in danger in the situation.

After the explosion, speculation started about whether Russia deliberately tried to kill Zelenky in the attack on Odessa.

Five people died in the airstrike. Mitsotakis later described the situation as intense. A big explosion was heard just as the Prime Minister was going to his car.

– It was the best and vivid reminder for us that there is a real war going on there, Mitsotakis commented after the visit.

The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, denied on his Telegram channel that the attack was somehow targeted at Zelensky.

– Everything is completely clear to everyone. First of all, there was no attack on the convoy in Odessa. If there had been, we would have hit it, the vice-chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation said.

– However, it is a shame that it (the strike) was launched at the exact predetermined location, Medvedev continued.

Medvedev ended his Telegram update with the Latin words nallum Malum sine aliquo bono. It means, loosely translated, that there is no evil without good.

lltalehti’s war expert Emil Kastehelmen according to which killing Zelenskyi would not be useful in the war.

Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Kyriakos Mitsotakis looked at apartment buildings bombed by Russia in Odessa. EPA / AOP

A Russian general paints threatening pictures of a “full-scale war” in Europe

Director of the Russian General Staff Academy, Colonel General Vladimir Zarudnitsky threatens the possibility of the war in Ukraine spreading into a “full-scale war in Europe”, reports the Reuters news agency.

The claim was published in an article published by the country’s Ministry of Defense, the content of which was reported by the Russian state-owned news agency Ria on Thursday.

– The probability that our country will be deliberately drawn into a new military conflict increases considerably, Zarudnitski stated according to Ria in the article.

According to the general, the US’s anti-Russian policy is the main source of the military threat to the country.

According to Reuters, Zarudnitsky’s comments come at a time when the West is fumbling with armed and financial aid to Ukraine.

A Russian steel factory was attacked by a drone

Russian state-owned news agency Tass reported on Thursday that the governor of the Volodga region announced that the attack hit the steel manufacturer Severstal’s factory in the city of Cherepovets.

The matter was reported by Reuters.

Ukraine: The goal is to carry out counterattacks during the current year

Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Pavliuk said Wednesday that the military would stabilize the battlefield situation soon and work to form units for counteroffensive operations later this year. This was reported by Reuters.

Ukrainian forces suffer a setback The city of Avdijivka fell into Russian hands earlier in February after months of devastating attacks.

– We will stabilize the situation in the near future, Pavliuk said.

A Ukrainian commander operating in the area Maksym Zhorin said Russian troops were having trouble advancing after capturing Avdijivka and several neighboring villages. According to him, their latest target was the village of Orlivka.

– Despite significant losses, they persistently continue their attacks both day and night, Zhorin said.

Ukraine receiving 800,000 artillery shells

Ukraine is about to receive hundreds of thousands of artillery ammunition, reports Bloomberg.

Ukraine’s allies have arranged nearly all the necessary funding for a Czech-led initiative to acquire hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, and they could be delivered to Ukraine within weeks.

The exact schedule depends on contract and delivery schedules, which could slip, officials familiar with the arrangements warned.

– There has been positive progress regarding the Czech initiative. But we can estimate positive results when the ammunition is in Ukraine, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi said Wednesday at a press conference.

Bloomberg previously reported that at least Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada and France support the Czech Republic’s plan to buy ammunition from outside the European Union.

President of the Czech Republic Peter Paul said at the Munich Security Conference last month that they have identified about 800,000 munitions that could be delivered within weeks to Ukraine if the funding is secured.

Norway donates more than 140 million euros for Ukraine’s ammunition purchases

The news agency Reuters reports that Norway has contributed NOK 1.6 billion (about EUR 140 million) to the Czech-led initiative to procure ammunition for Ukraine.

– Ukraine urgently needs a large amount of artillery ammunition to withstand Russian military aggression, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in his statement on Thursday.

Moldova and France signed a defense cooperation agreement

France and Moldova signed an agreement on defense cooperation. Previously, two regions of Moldova, Transnistria and Gagauzia, asked for help from Russia. Unlike Transnistria, Gagauzia has not declared itself independent.

Moldova, with about 2.6 million inhabitants, is a neighboring country of Ukraine, but in the past it has had close relations with Russia. However, relations have become tense when the capital Chisinau announced its support for Ukraine. The country’s president, Maia Sandu, has accused the separatist region of Transnistria of supporting Russia.

Russia has expressed its concern about the Russian-speaking population living in Transnistria. It also used the same pretext as a justification to attack Ukraine. The French Ministry of Defense has speculated that Russia is probably behind the attempts to destabilize Moldova.

Now Sandu will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday, when the agreement will be signed.

Already in September, France and Moldova agreed that France, a member of NATO, can train Moldovan soldiers. France is helping Moldova to inspect and improve air defense. Moldova may have a new air defense system on its procurement list.