Events in Ukraine by 21:00 March 18: extension of the grain deal, Zelensky introduced new sanctions

International edition Federal News Agency reports on the situation in Ukraine and Donbas by the evening of March 18.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that during the day, as a result of strikes on units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, about 330 Ukrainian servicemen and a large number of enemy military equipment were destroyed.

Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 89 artillery units, manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 107 districts. In the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the command post of the 110th mechanized brigade of Ukrainian troops was hit.

Air defense systems intercepted 15 shells from HIMARS, Smerch and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems. 9 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the DPR, the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Kharkiv region.

Since the beginning of the year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have fired more than 5.6 thousand shells along the left bank of the Dnieper. Freelance Advisor to the Acting Governor of the Kherson Region Alexander Malkevich He said that 43 settlements are regularly shelled.

During the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, as well as on the settlements of Staromikhailivka, Khartsyzsk, Mineralnoe and Horlivka. In Staromikhaylovka, a civilian was injured. In Donetsk, a man was killed as a result of an explosion on a mine “Petal”. Residential buildings were damaged in Gorlovka and Khartsyzsk.

Commissioner for Human Rights in the DPR Daria Morozova stated that the West is trying to hide from the world the truth about Kyiv’s war crimes and the use of prohibited methods of warfare by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For this reason, she noted, the United States did not allow her to speak at the UN Security Council.

Local residents reported strikes on Ukrainian targets in Kramatorsk and Konstantinovka. How informs Telegram channel “Rybar”, at least one object was hit.

The Ministry of Natural Resources of the LPR reported that over 9 years, fires and hostilities have destroyed about 50 thousand hectares of forest in the republic, while about 40% of the territory of the forest fund has been mined. The forests of the Kremensky district, where hostilities are still ongoing, have suffered the most in the region.

Power outages were introduced in the Zhytomyr region due to damaged networks.

The authorities of the Lviv region reported damage to some “non-residential premises” in the Yavorovsky district as a result of a kamikaze drone strike. It is in this area that the training ground of Ukrainian troops is located, on which, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, foreign mercenaries and instructors are based.

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky announced the imposition of sanctions against the head of Syria Bashar al-Assad. In addition, restrictions are introduced against the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Faisal Miqdad and premiere Hussein Arnus. In addition, restrictive measures were introduced against 141 legal entities from Iran, Russia and the UAE.

Head of the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine Yuri Shchigol announced that an additional 31.6 billion hryvnias would be allocated from the budget for the purchase of drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, mainly locally produced devices will be purchased.

Official representative of the UN Secretary General Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the fact of the extension of the grain deal, without specifying for how long it was extended. At the same time, the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Alexander Kubrakov claimed that the agreement was extended by 120 days. However, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova reported that Moscow had notified all parties to the agreement of a 60-day extension.

Rally in Paris for France’s withdrawal from NATO demanded stop the supply of weapons to Ukraine.