Ukraine war live blog: video shows Russian defense minister alive

US President Joe Biden met in person with Ukraine’s foreign and defense ministers in Poland. The US President held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov at the Marriott Hotel in Warsaw, the White House said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin also attended the meeting. It was Biden’s first face-to-face meeting with senior government officials in Kyiv since the Ukraine war began more than a month ago. It was considered remarkable that Kuleba and Reznikov were able to leave their country for the meeting.

Since the Russian attack began around a month ago, the federal police have registered 259,980 refugees from Ukraine in Germany. The Federal Ministry of the Interior announced this on Twitter. The actual number of refugees is unknown because there are no comprehensive border controls – it is likely to be significantly higher. It is also not recorded how many people travel from Germany to other countries.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko has announced another curfew for the population of the Ukrainian capital. The curfew will begin on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. (local time; 7:00 p.m. CET) and “last until at least 7:00 a.m. on Monday,” Klitschko explained in the Messenger service Telegram. The “military command” decided on the renewed curfew.

Since the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine more than a month ago, the authorities in Kyiv have imposed longer curfews several times. It is forbidden to move around the capital during the curfew period without special permission.

The Russian armed forces say they have destroyed another arsenal of weapons and military technology in a rocket attack in Ukraine. Four “Caliber” rockets were fired from a warship in the Black Sea and hit the depot near the city of Zhytomyr. The important industrial city of Zhytomyr is around 120 kilometers west of Kyiv. A total of 117 military objects were destroyed within 24 hours, including six command posts and three combat aircraft, said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

This information could not be verified by an independent party. A video showing the launch of rockets was also released again. Observers recently commented that the Russian military is also using its attacks in Ukraine for an unprecedented arms show to demonstrate its missiles.

The Russian defense minister has reappeared in public. A video shows Sergei Shoigu at a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry. At the meeting, “the implementation of the state defense program and the fulfillment of social obligations” were discussed, reports Russian state media.
https://twitter.com/magadow/status/1507633845520285696

In Ukraine, the invasion of Russian troops in Slavutych is reported (a town 40 kilometers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant) and the kidnapping of the mayor
According to the UNIAN news agency, Russian soldiers fired on a checkpoint on March 24 in an attempt to take the city. On Saturday, residents of Slavutych took to the streets to protest against the occupiers. https://t.me/ukrinform_news/60473

London has lifted part of the sanctions against the founder of Tinkoff Bank Oleg Tinkov and the head of the investment company Millhouse Yevgeny Shvidler, the business partner of billionaire Roman Abramowich. In the updated list of sanctions, the so-called transport sanctions have been removed next to the names of Tinkow and Schwidler. These included business jets and business yachts, as well as a ban on entering ports, flying in airspace and landing at UK airports.

Vladimir Putin has enacted another law against the spread of alleged fake news. Fines or imprisonment are now threatened not only because of “fake news” about the Russian armed forces, but also about the work of Russian state organs abroad, as the media in Moscow reported on Saturday. This applies, for example, to the work of authorities, embassies or trade missions, about whose work abroad the Kremlin believes that false information could be spread.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has warned against hasty and uncontrolled reports on arms deliveries or military actions in the Russian war of aggression. These would only play into the hands of the Russian side and help them “align actions more precisely,” said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar. It has already happened that “well-intentioned reports or reports published out of gratitude” about arms purchases or deliveries have led to either contracts being terminated or deliveries being prevented. “And so today, under conditions of war, we are trying to prevent any information leaking out about the aid we receive,” she said.

Dear readers,

the war in Ukraine is entering its 31st day. The Ukrainian military still believes that a large-scale attack by Russian troops on Kyiv is possible. To this end, the enemy is continuing to pull together strong forces, said Ukraine’s army chief of staff Olexander Grusewitsch. In addition, according to the findings of the reconnaissance in the Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, special units are being prepared for this mission. This information could not be independently verified. Recently, Ukrainian troops had managed to recapture several positions and towns in the Kyiv area.