Information about situation in Ukraine – 3 March, 16:00 CET

2022-03-03 | Russian Aggression against Ukraine

RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE, situation as of March 3, 16.00 CET

Worrying reports: Russians might have pointed multiple rocket-launching systems in the Russian border village of Popovka towards their own territory. Knowing the barbaric nature of Russian actions we fear a false flag operation might be prepared in order to accuse Ukraine.

Russian occupiers actively use the “Hrad”, “Tornado” and “Hurricane” multiple rocket launchers during the artillery strikes on Ukrainian settlements.

Russia strikes residential areas with deadly bombs, shells and rocket-propelled grenades, cynically killing civilians. The shelling of hospitals does not stop.

Ukraine receives more weapons from partners and is already meeting 16.000 foreign volunteers, who go to our country to defend Ukraine.

Russian SU-34 fighter-bomber was shot down by a Ukraine’s Joint forces air defence unit near the town of Volnovakha.

The EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding on providing €1.2 billion in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.

Ukraine is currently working on three major goals in diplomatic domain: supply of military equipment, destruction of Russian economy, «Deputinisation» of the world.

WAR ROOM

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba

https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1499362826133151747

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russian occupiers continue to use civilians as human shields, taking hostages. Contrary to the norms of International Humanitarian Law, high-power cluster munitions and fragmentation munitions are used in bombings. During the artillery strikes on the settlements, the occupiers actively used the “Hrad”, “Tornado” and “Hurricane” multiple rocket launchers.

In the Volyn direction, the enemy with up to 2 BTGs moved to defensive operations and tried to stay on the border Bihun, Ovruch, Pirozhky, Rizniya, Ukrayinka.

In Polissya, the occupiers concentrated their main efforts on the Kyiv direction, incurring losses in personnel and equipment, but did not abandon attempts to block Kyiv from the northern and north-western directions.

In the direction of Korosten, the enemy suffered heavy losses and stopped. Does not carry out offensive actions.

In the Siverskyi region, the enemy is trying to stay in the areas of the settlements of Lyubech and Mena with the forces of 41 all-military armies, 90 tank divisions of the Central Military District of the Russian Armed Forces in the direction of Chernigiv-Kyiv. At the same time, the forces of 2 BTGr are moving in the direction Kotsyubynske – Honcharivske (Kyiv).

Occupying troops are forced to put reserves into operation. To resume the offensive in the direction of Kyiv, an additional BTGr was leaded in.

7 BTGr, 3 TGr Missile and Artillery, TGr CBRN of the 6 All-Military Army of the Central Military District of the RF Armed Forces, 2 All-Military Army of the RF Armed Forces continue attempts to resume offensive operations in the Nizhyn and Pryluky areas.

In the direction of Peremoha – Brovary are noted to two BTGr from the 2nd All-Military Army of the Central Military District of the RF Armed Forces.

In Slobozhanshchyna, enemy troops from the 1st Panzer Army of the RF Armed Forces, the 6th and 20th All-Military Armies were stopped at the border in the areas of Okhtyrka, Bogodukhiv, Chuguiv, Shevchenkove after illegally crossing the state border of Ukraine.

In the Sumy direction up to two BTGr of 200 separate rifle brigade (14 Army Corp PF) and 90 (up to two BTGr) continues to keep under siege settlements Sumy, Lebedyn And Okhtyrka.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy was forced to move to the defense with forces up to six BTGr. Up to three BTGs will probably make another attempt to surround Kharkiv from the south.

In the Svativ direction, forces with up to two BTGs will probably try to advance in the direction of IZUM and gain a foothold at any frontier. The main reason for such actions is the continuation of the offensive in the directions of the Dnipro and Zaporizhya.

Mariupol is stable in the Donetsk region, and the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts are inaccessible to the enemy.

In the Tavriya direction, the enemy introduced part of the operational reserves – to BTGr, trying to continue the offensive in the direction of Zaporozhye, part of the forces – in Mariupol.

Ship groups of the Black Sea, Northern and Baltic Fleets are actively conducting demonstration activities.

In the Sumy region, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine advanced along the State Border of the Sumy region.

https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/263757872603965

The total estimated Russia’s losses from 24.02 to 03.03:

Personnel – 9000

Aircraft – 30

Helicopters – 31

Tanks ‒ 217

Cisterns – 60

UAV operational and tactical level – 3

Anti-aircraft missile system BUK – 1

Armored vehicles of different types – 900

Artillery pieces – 90

Grad systems – 40

Vehicles – 374

Vessels – 2

Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 11

https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua

https://twitter.com/MFA_Ukraine/status/1499305034898722816

Today one more Russian SU-34 fighter-bomber was shot down by a Ukraine’s Joint forces air defence unit near the town of Volnovakha.

The pilots of this plane carried out a barbaric bombardment of the civilian population and infrastructure of the city.

https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/263706199275799

State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Kharkiv region: operational information as of 08:00 on March 3

For the past 24 hours, from March 2 to 3, the enemy continued to strike residential neighborhoods and entire settlements with its deadly bombs, shells and rocket-propelled grenades, cynically killing civilians. The cities of Kharkiv, Izyum, as well as the villages of Yakivlivka and Khorosheve in the Kharkiv region were hit hard. In general, the statistics of losses among the population is impressive: 34 people died, 285 were injured, including 10 children. As a result several dozen fires occurred, 30 of which were stopped by rescue teams, working even under fire.

At around 8 a.m., the center of Kharkiv came under massive missile attack. The rockets hit 2 administrative buildings, which caught on fire. The area of the fire was 600 sq.m.

At 13:31 enemy hit a residential building on Constitution Sq. in the center of Kharkiv. There was a partial destruction of this building. The blast damaged building structures and destroyed windows of another house. 17 people were rescued during the rescue operation.

At 13:33 the shell hit a garage cooperative on the street Academician Pavlov. There was a fire with an area of 300 sq.m. 3 dead bodies were found on the spot.

At 13:57 – a fire of an area of 40 sq.m. broke down in Kharkiv on the street Lesya Serdyuk. The shell hit between the 4th and 5th floors of a 16-storey building. 20 people were evacuated from the house.

At 14:40 a fire on the street Myronosytska broke down. 3 houses burned at once. The burning area was 1000 sq.m. 13 people were rescued.

At 22:57 the enemy cynically attacked an ordinary Ukrainian village, where there is no military infrastructure. The blow was inflicted on the village of Yakivlivka.

At midnight there was a massive air raid on the peaceful city of Izyum – the city of Cossack glory. It lasted from 00:14 to 02:02.

https://.facebook.com/MNS.GOV.UA

Today at about 08:10 during shelling in Chernihiv an oil depot was hit on the territory of SE “Kombinat Aystra” causing fire in the tank group with a total capacity of 5 thousand cubic meters of diesel fuel. Information on victims and injured is being clarified.

https://www.facebook.com/MNS.GOV.UA/posts/325237332977496

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

On March 2, the village of Yakovlivka in Kharkiv region was attacked. The bombs destroyed at least 30 private houses, as well as cars and outbuildings. 7 people were injured, 10 people were rescued from the rubble. Unfortunately, 3 persons died. Search and rescue operations are underway.

https://www.facebook.com/mvs.gov.ua

Ministry of Health of Ukraine

The shelling of hospitals does not stop.

For the last anxious night, right under fire, Ukrainian doctors help birth in Zhytomyr Prenatal Center and Vasylkiv Hospital in Zaporizhia Oblast.

Russian terrorists do not stop violating all possible international humanitarian rules.

Time and again the hospital, ambulances, doctors and patients are under fire. Zhytomyr’s medical institutions, in particular, the regional perinatal center and the second city hospital was bombed. Windows and doors were blown out by an explosive wave. Fortunately, there are no casualties among hospital staff and patients.

Timely notification of the air alert helped save lives, and doctors even in such conditions managed to complete the operations.

The hospital in Vasylivka, Zaporozhye region was also destroyed (nurses were not injured, patients too). Life cannot be stopped, the cry of newborn Ukrainians overcomes powerful terrorist airstrikes.

https://www.facebook.com/viktor.liashko

POLICY

The address of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy

9:58 CET

The President reminded that two years ago the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Ukraine. Though the first weeks of fighting were extremely difficult, Ukrainians were united, strong and Ukraine withstood.

“Exactly a week ago, Ukraine was attacked by another virus. Another disease. By those who suffer from severe annexation and occupation of foreign lands. One week ago, at 4 am, Russia invaded our independent Ukraine, our land. Acute fit of aggression, megalomania, delusion of persecution. Heavy psychological complexes and as a result – missile systems/complexes. Rocket artillery, tanks and other armored vehicles simply remind locusts.” As like during COVID, Ukraine is united, strong and Ukraine will withstand.

Ukraine’s actions have resulted in the changed tactics of Russia. Its missile and bomb strikes at Ukrainian cities are a confession that they could not show significant advance on land. All lines of Ukraine’s defense are preserved. The enemy has no success in any of the strategic directions. They are doomed and demoralized.

Our air defense worked well tonight against another bomb strike at Kyiv. Kherson, Izyum, all other cities where the invaders carried out air strikes did not give up anything. Chernihiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv hold the line.

The Assumption Cathedral – one of the oldest monuments Kharkiv and Ukraine, which serves now as a shelter – became a target of Russia, and was damaged by war. The President stated: “They enjoy he fact the God does not give an instant rebuff, but He sees and He responds. There is no such bunker to survive God’s response. …And even if you destroy all our cathedrals and churches, you will not destroy our sincere faith in God, Ukraine and people”.

Russia should learn the words “reparations” and “contributions”, as everything it did must be repaid. Ukraine will restore every house, street, city to forget the war, but Ukraine will not forget those who perished, and God won’t.

Russia uses the entire warfare toolkit: cuts off civilians from water, electricity, food, shells routes of possible evacuation. The hypocrisy is that at the same time Russian propaganda claims that Russia will send the humanitarian column to Ukraine.

Despite that, Ukrainians in all war-torn regions already receive everything necessary from us and our partners. Coordination headquarters work in full, and the real humanitarian goods are on the way. Our Government has already prepared a special assistance for all Ukrainians who have lost the opportunity to work. Already these days every citizen of Ukraine who has lost his work due to Russian aggression will receive 6500 UAH without any conditions. The payment of indexed pensions (by 14% starting from 1 March) will be ensured in full, in accordance with the law and in determined periods.

Ukraine receives more and more weapons from its partners on a daily basis and is already meeting 16.000 foreign volunteers, who go to our country to defend Ukraine, freedom and life for all.

The President has finished, by reminding that despite two World Wars, three Holodomors, the Holocaust, Babyn Yar, the Great Terror, the Chernobyl explosion, occupation of Crimea and the war in the east, but it didn’t break Ukraine whose main treasures are its people and its land, and Ukraine will stand on this. Meanwhile, the President advised Russia, a vast country rich in gas, to concentrate on its own 150 million Russian-speaking citizens residing in the borders of Russia.

https://www.facebook.com/president.gov.ua/videos/3069048543362764/

https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/768 (full speech with ENG subtitles)

Briefing by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba

Ukraine is currently working on three major goals in diplomatic domain:

Supply of military equipment (even by those countries that have never done it before);
Destruction of Russian economy;
«Deputinisation» of the world.

Ukraine created an anti-war coalition with 86 countries and 15 international organizations as of now. 19 countries supply military equipment, 10 countries make macro financial donations, 22 countries give humanitarian aid, and 16 countries confirmed to help transport more than 1000 volunteers to fight for Ukrainian army.

Russia is trying to establish partnerships with at least 3 countries that could help Kremlin make it through economic crisis. Ukrainian diplomats will stay in touch with those governments to ensure their decision not to support the aggressor.

During the briefing Kuleba stressed “There is an urgent need to strengthen the Air Force. Ukraine is working with a number of countries to close the skies over the country and there is already some progress in this regard.”

Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs informed that he had a call with British colleague Liz Truss, during which they discussed potential solutions for loopholes that Russia could use to stay within global economy. Among other European partners, Spain decided to aid defense equipment. This help will flow more smoothly now due to opening of European Peace Fund.

38 countries closed the sky for Russian planes, Canada and the UK do not allow Russian boats in their ports. UN voted for resolution “Aggression against Ukraine” that demands Russia to pull back troops from the Ukrainian territory including Crimea (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21314169-unga-resolution). This is one of the largest resolutions in the world that was co-authored by 95 and supported by 141countries.

The world leads an information war against Putin’s regime by banning Russian media resources and firing Russian public figures. The most powerful impact, is made by large corporations that stop operations in Russia. Those include but are not limited to DHL, Apple, Google, Twitter, Lenovo, Spotify, Tesla, BMW, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Adidas, and Nike. Those, as well as other sanctions, will take place until we ensure complete absence of Russian army in Ukraine.

https://www.facebook.com/UkraineMFA/videos/772126277084920/

Office of the President of Ukraine

The President of Ukraine signed a decree on the establishment of the Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian and Social Affairs assistance to citizens in difficult life circumstances caused by armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

https://www.facebook.com/president.gov.ua

ECONOMY

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal

The EU has just signed a Memorandum of Understanding on providing €1.2 billion in macro-financial assistance. We truly thank to Valdis Dombrovskis. Another gesture of strong support from the EU, which will help strengthen our economic potential to expel the Russian occupiers from Ukrainian soil.

https://twitter.com/Denys_Shmyhal/status/1499363832153751558

Ministry of Finance

The main message from the briefing of Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko:

the financial system of Ukraine works smoothly and efficiently, even in wartime. Overfulfillment of state budget revenues in February is in amounts of UAH 24 billion;
the army is the main priority. We have enough resources to fund our defenders;
Ukraine fulfills all social obligations. Pensions, salaries, social benefits will be paid on time and in full;
we continue to communicate with our international partners. They are all united in support of Ukraine;
the first auction of military bonds was held this week. We have raised more than UAH 8 billion for the needs of the army and the budget. We plan to continue to hold such auctions.

State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine

The Head of the State Service for Special Communications Yurii Shchigol and Vice-Prime-Minister Mykhailo Fedorov appealed to the French Government and communications administrator to stop the broadcasting of Russian TV channels by the satellite operator Eutelsat and thus stop the spread of false information about the events in Ukraine. This measure will prevent spreading propaganda and misinformation.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear act of aggression and a clear violation of Article 2.4 of the UN Charter, which prohibits “the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.”

Russia also uses its weapons to destroy civilian infrastructure, such as housing, kindergartens, hospitals, etc., as prohibited by Article 51 (3) of Additional Protocol I and Article 13 (3) of Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions.

These horrific crimes have been made possible mainly by Russia’s propaganda machine, which uses television as a tool to spread disinformation, incite hatred, propagate violence and conceal the truth about the war in Ukraine.

https://www.facebook.com/dsszzi/posts/266710112306799

ENERGY

GTS operator of Ukraine

GTS operator of Ukraine reports damage of the gas pipeline in Luhansk region.

As a result of hostilities on the part of the Russian Federation, the first line of the gas pipeline of the Luhansk-Lysychansk-Rubizhne of GTS Operator of Ukraine was damaged in the area of the Lysychansk GDS branch. The company’s dispatchers recorded a decrease in the pressure in the system and at 7:50 CET on March 3 cut off the supply of natural gas.

There are no casualties among the employees of the GTS Operator.

The Operator will resume the operation of the gas pipeline as soon as possible, but there is currently active hostilities in the area of the accident. The city of Lysychansk receives gas through the OGRM’s backup gas supply system.

In total, as of 10:00 am CET, 14 out of 1,389 GDSs were stopped due to hostilities.

However, the gas transportation system of Ukraine continues to work for gas supply to Ukrainians and critical infrastructure.

All departments perform their tasks.

Employees of the GTS Operator work in the enhanced security mode.

We will remind, on March 2 the air attack damaged two threads of the gas pipeline to the Izyum gas distribution station (GDS) (Kharkiv region), which consumers of Izyum received gas from, and as a result of artillery shelling the administrative buildings of Mykolayiv and Kharkiv.

https://www.facebook.com/tsoua2020/posts/4861185523974579

Naftogaz

The situation at the area of JSC Donetskoblgaz operation remains intense. Our colleagues are now actively working on restoration of gas supply to Bohoyavlenka village, Maryinsky district. At the same time, 5,000 subscribers in various districts of the oblast still have no gas supplies due to fighting.

JSC Donetskoblgaz, hold on!

JSC Chornomornaftogaz carries on gas production at Strilkove field (Henichesk district, Kherson Oblast) and provide gas to the local households.

The daily volume of gas production has increased and makes 40.5 tcm per day (as a comparison – at the same period last year production made about 35 tcm of gas). Local residents suffer from constant irregularities of power supply, so a stable heat supply is crucial.

Neither equipment nor gas pipelines are damaged, there is no shelling at the moment.

LLC “Gas supply company “Naftogaz Trading” continues to supply gas to almost 12,000 consumers: district heating companies and housing cooperatives, budgetary institutions, religious organisations, industry, etc. As a result of the bombing-missile attacks of the Russian army on civil facilities of utility infrastructure, the Company communicates directly with heat producers for households. As at the morning of 3 March large DHCs have confirmed their applications for natural gas supplies.

There is no contact only with the commercial utility enterprise “Mariupolteplomerezha”.

Dispatchers of LLC “GSC “Naftogaz Trading” are trying to clarify the situation in the heat supply company.

Facilities of the UGS of JSC Ukrtransgaz are under high security and keep normal operation. Gas is being withdrawn as normal.

Novoyavorivsk and Novyi Rozdil CHPs (Lviv region) managed by LLC “Naftogaz Teplo” are operating as normal, consistently supplying the households with heat, hot water. Branches of Novoyavorivsk and Novyi Rozdil CHPs are consistently supplying all households with electricity.

LLC “Gas supply company “Naftogaz of Ukraine” is operating in a routine mode.

All digital services are available for customers and contact centre is working properly.

JSC Ukrgasvydobuvannya keeps producing gas at all its facilities, except for those located near the contact line.

JSC Ukrtransnafta keeps operating in a routine mode.

JSC Ukrspectransgaz is operating meeting all the requirements of martial law status.

OJSC “Kirovohradgaz” is operating as normal.

https://www.naftogaz.com/en/news/operatyvna-informatsiya-schodo-roboty-pidpryemstv-grupy-naftogaz-stanom-na-12-00-3-bereznya-2022-roku