live blog
The Czech parliament has classified Russia as the biggest security risk for its own country. Several EU states are calling for import restrictions on Russian grain. All developments in the live blog.
After the night attacks on Kiev that left several people injured, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to supply more weapons for Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia. The head of state explicitly mentioned “Patriot” anti-aircraft missiles. The “terror” by Russia “continues day and night,” said Zelensky. However, ending it is “quite possible if our partners show sufficient political will.”
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reports, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow, that the Russian Northern Fleet has a new commander. The 55-year-old Vice Admiral Konstantin Kabanzow received the post. He replaces Admiral Alexander Moiseev, who has been appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy.
After the attacks on Kiev that night, the Ukrainian military put the number of injured at 13. A child was also injured, the AP news agency quoted the military as saying.
The Czech Republic’s parliament has declared Russia to be the greatest security threat to its own state. A resolution adopted said that the “terrorist regime in Russia” is trying to expand its sphere of influence into Ukraine and other European countries. This goes hand in hand with the commission of war crimes. It is therefore of crucial interest to continue to help Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.
“A cessation of the delivery of military material would, however, lead to the conquest and devastation of Ukraine by the Russian terrorist regime,” said the resolution, which was supported by 84 MPs from Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s liberal-conservative coalition. There were 17 votes against and 42 abstentions.
According to Ukrainian authorities, at least twelve people were injured in the rocket attacks on Kiev. Two had to be treated as outpatients in a clinic. The mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, had previously spoken of at least ten people being injured.
According to its own statements, the Ukrainian air force shot down 31 rockets that were fired at the capital Kiev during the night.
Andrea Beer, ARD Kiev, tagesschau, March 21, 2024 7:55 a.m
EU heads of state and government are meeting at a joint summit in Brussels today. A central issue is continued support for Ukraine.
According to its mayor Vitali Klitschko, at least ten people were injured in the nightly rocket attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Klitschko announced this on Telegram. In addition, residential buildings and industrial facilities were damaged.
The CDU/CSU parties assume that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will ultimately agree to the delivery of “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine. “It seems to me undisputed that the Taurus is the cruise missile that would best meet Ukrainian needs,” said the Parliamentary Managing Director of the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Thorsten Frei, to the dpa news agency. The war in Ukraine is also about hitting Russian supply lines and thus “providing a certain amount of relief when it comes to Russian attacks in Ukraine,” Frei explained his assessment. “This is all the more necessary because the Ukrainians have to make do with a fraction of the ammunition that the Russians have available,” emphasized the CDU politician. So far, Scholz has rejected “Taurus” deliveries to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian capital Kiev was attacked with rockets in several waves during the night. In the morning hours, explosions of anti-aircraft missiles could be heard in the city center, eyewitnesses reported. According to the Ukrainian army, the Russian military’s strategic air force was deployed again from the Caspian Sea after a break of several weeks. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that rocket parts had fallen in several parts of the city. Several cars and a transformer house caught fire. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia also deployed difficult-to-intercept hypersonic Kinshal (Dagger) missiles.
Australia has joined a drone coalition to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia. “This is an important way to contribute to efforts to ensure Ukraine stays the course and resolves this conflict on its own terms,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said. Last month, Britain and Latvia agreed to lead the drone coalition. It is expected to supply Ukraine with thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles. The announcement was made during a visit by British Defense Minister Grant Shapps to Australia.
Several EU states are calling on the European Commission to impose import restrictions on Russian grain. Russia is also financing the ongoing war against Ukraine with profits from grain exports to the EU, according to a letter signed by the agriculture ministers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The Commission is called upon to develop legislation restricting the import of grain from Russia and Belarus into EU territory. In addition, the Commission should examine to what extent the import of agricultural products of Russian and Belarusian origin into the EU could fundamentally be further restricted.
The Netherlands wants to support Ukraine with drones and ammunition for F-16 jets. The first Bundeswehr soldiers are scheduled to arrive in Lithuania in April to provide increased protection for their NATO partner. Wednesday’s developments to read.