[KorrespondentJ 22.53 Russian troops attacked Kryvyi Rih with drones, a 22-year-old was injured.
"The enemy attacked the city's infrastructure with rocket launchers. We have begun an emergency rescue operation and extinguishing the fire. At the moment, one 22-year-old guy is injured, lightly," said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council.
22.03 On the evening of March 31, Russian forces launched a drone strike on the center of Nikopol. The attack injured 11 people. Multi-story buildings, shops, and cars were damaged.
21:54 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelenskyy informed about his visit to the countries of the Middle East and the protection system that Ukraine offers to partners.
"I am grateful for the high assessment of our contribution to strengthening the protection of lives. Ukraine is ready for similar cooperation with European countries for the sake of the security of our continent," the president noted.
Merz, in turn, spoke about his diplomatic contacts. The leaders discussed in detail the negotiation process to end Russia's war against Ukraine and the communication of the Ukrainian team with the American side. The President thanked the Chancellor for her principled position - Ukraine has never been and will not be an obstacle to peace.
Ukraine is preparing contacts with partners in a wider circle to coordinate positions and develop joint steps. In particular, there will be a lot of bilateral work with Germany next month.
20.12 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a video conversation with the American side on April 1. From the Ukrainian side, the head of state and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov will participate in the conversation, from the American side - Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The conversation will be about "where we are" and preparations for a possible "at least a trilateral meeting," Zelenskyy noted.
The president said he would convey a proposal for an energy truce to the US, but there were no such signals from the Russian side.
"There were no signals from the Russian side to us. At least, we didn't receive any. I will definitely convey this to the US tomorrow... I will ask them to convey this proposal to the Russian side," the Ukrainian leader said.
19.45 Ukraine hopes that the US will help involve Russia in a trilateral meeting and support the proposal for a ceasefire for the Easter holidays. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
18.29 In Krasnoyarsk, Russia, a cemetery where, in particular, military personnel who went to war against Ukraine are buried is rapidly increasing in size. A video is spreading online in which a Russian man is surprised by the size of the new cemetery.
"There is no end, no end. The new Shinny cemetery in Krasnoyarsk... Everything is like this, in flags. This is only what is in the field of view of the camera. It's just f***ing. Just look at the scale of this burial ground," the man says in the video.
Krasnoyarsk is located in Siberia, a considerable distance from Ukraine. The straight-line distance from Krasnoyarsk to the central regions of Ukraine is approximately 3,500-4,000 km.
18.15 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold a video conversation with the American side on Wednesday, April 1. He said this during a summit in the city of Bucha near Kyiv, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
The conversation will be about "where we are" and preparations for a possible "at least a trilateral meeting."
17.51 ​​The aggressor country Russia demands that the Ukrainian army leave Donbas within two months . President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during a summit in the city of Bucha near Kyiv, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
17.43 DeepState analysts stated that the Russians allegedly occupied the villages of Sviato-Pokrovske and Vasyukivka, and advanced near Riznykivka and Bondarne. However, the East group of troops denied the information about the "occupation of the village of Vasyukivka." This is evidenced by the corresponding reports of Deepstate and the Defense Forces.
The Group of Forces East stressed that the report about the capture of Vasyukivka "does not correspond to reality." According to the military, Ukrainian units continue to hold the settlement, inflicting constant fire damage on the enemy.
However, in the area of ​​Svyato-Pokrovsky, Ukrainian units did indeed withdraw to more western positions. This happened a few weeks ago. This decision was made to preserve the lives and health of servicemen, as well as to improve interaction between units.
17.43 More than 87,500 Ukrainian servicemen have been trained as part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission to Ukraine - EUMAM Ukraine, starting in 2022.
The mission's mandate includes: individual, collective and specialized training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine; coordination and synchronization of member states' activities in the field of training; EUMAM Ukraine covers a wide range of training programs (tactical medicine, CBRN protection (radiation, chemical, biological, nuclear), demining, logistics and communications, tactical planning and preparation for maneuver operations, live fire coordination).
17.27 In Chernivtsi region, an organized group was exposed that smuggled men of military age abroad. The scheme was organized by a 43-year-old border resident, involving six more accomplices familiar with the area.
A "hub" was set up in the village, where the men were collected, instructed and prepared for illegal crossing. Later, they were taken out through the forest to Romania in small groups of 5-7 people, coordinating their actions with walkie-talkies and using thermal imagers and night vision devices.
The cost of the service ranged from 5,000 to 15,000 euros per person. At least four episodes were documented, and more than 20 people were identified as using the scheme. Some of them were detained while trying to cross the border. The total profit exceeded 200,000 euros.
Nearly 40 searches resulted in the seizure of cash, communications equipment, and equipment. Six more men were found in one of the houses, ready for the crossing.
17.00 According to the evidence base of the Security Service, an FSB agent, whom the SBU exposed in March in Kherson, received 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The special services arrested the attacker "red-handed" when he tried to leave a bag with a homemade bomb at the entrance to the regional shopping center. Later, the Russian special services planned to remotely detonate it together with their agent.
The executor of the FSB order turned out to be an unemployed resident of Cherkasy, who came into the enemy's sights through Telegram channels in search of "easy money."
During the search, a homemade bomb and a phone with evidence of his contacts with an FSB supervisor were seized from the detainee.
16.53 Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, 88 Russian attacks have taken place on the front. Half of the enemy assaults were recorded in the Pokrovsk area, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informs in an operational summary .
16.41 Russian troops are using dangerous types of ammunition in the Kharkiv region, in particular, cumulative-fragmentation.
"According to information from our explosives units, we have recorded the use of Russian cumulative fragmentation munitions in the region. They have a characteristic shape, similar to a bell, and are equipped with a self-destruction mechanism, which makes them especially dangerous for the civilian population," said Oleg Synegubov, head of the OVA.
Sinegubov noted that mines with a magnetic target sensor were also discovered: round in shape, green in color, which also have the property of self-destruction.
16.20 In Belgorod, Russia, a drone attacked the regional government building, damaging the facade and glazing of the building. Three people were injured. This was reported by the head of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, on social networks.
"As a result, three people were injured. Two more women sought medical attention. One of them is an employee, and the other is a visitor to the administration. Both were diagnosed with mine-blast injuries and barotrauma," he wrote.
The administration employee was hospitalized, while the visitor will be treated as an outpatient.
Earlier, Gladkov reported that the head of the administrative and economic department was injured in the building. The man received shrapnel wounds to his legs, abdomen, and arm. He was hospitalized.
Local media noted that it was likely a strike by an FPV drone.
15.51 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska, on the fourth anniversary of the liberation of Bucha in the Kyiv region from Russian occupiers, honored the memory of Ukrainians who were killed and tortured by Russian invaders in February-March 2022.
Volodymyr and Olena Zelensky installed lamps at the memorial located on the territory of the Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called and All Saints of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Russian invaders occupied Bucha for 33 days: from February 27 to March 31, 2022. During this time, 561 civilians died, including 12 children.
15.45 In the Russian Tatarstan , one person was killed and 50 others were injured in an explosion in the city of Nizhnekamsk at the Nizhnekamskneftekhim plant . This was reported by the press service of the SIBUR holding company, which owns the plant.
The explosion allegedly occurred due to an "equipment failure." A large-scale fire is being extinguished at Nizhny Kamskneftekhim.
15.24 The Ministry of Defense codified and admitted to operation in the Armed Forces of Ukraine the domestically produced Shvidun unmanned aerial vehicle complex. It was developed specifically to defeat attack drones such as Shahed-136, Geran, Gerber, and reconnaissance drones such as Zala, Supercam, and Skat.
The Shvidun unmanned aerial vehicle complex is made of durable composite material. It weighs about 8 kg and has a wingspan of almost 2 m. The drone can climb to a height of up to 6 km and reach speeds of over 250 km/h.
The range of this drone is over 70 km, which is enough to cover the skies over any Ukrainian city. The Shvidun can stay in the air for over two hours.
Currently, the Shvidun UAV has one of the highest kill rates of Russian Shahed drones among Ukrainian-made interceptor drones. In particular, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already destroyed about a hundred enemy drones with the help of this drone.
15.00 Moscow will take measures if European Union countries provide their airspace for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.
14.57 As a result of the drone attack on March 28 in Odessa, the number of dead has increased to eight people. This was reported by the head of the OVA, Oleg Kiper.
"A 76-year-old man who suffered serious injuries died in the hospital. His condition remained extremely serious from the beginning," Kiper noted.
This brings the death toll from the attack to three. Another 14 people, including a 9-year-old boy, were injured.
14:45 Russian aggressors twice attacked the city of Chuguev in Kharkiv region with strike drones. Five people are known to have been injured, including police officers, the National Police reported.
14.28 Attempts by the occupiers to use fog and mist for a covert advance into Hryshyne, northwest of Pokrovsk, are fruitless. This was reported by the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is noted that units in the area of ​​responsibility of the 7th Airborne Assault Corps are working out enemy targets on the approaches to the settlement. According to preliminary information, the Defense Forces destroyed a company-level officer in the area of ​​Hryshyne.
This caused disorganization in enemy units and reduced combat capabilities.
14.21 In the Russian republic of Tatarstan, a powerful explosion occurred in the city of Nizhnekamsk on the territory of the Nizhnekamskneftekhim plant. Six victims are currently known.
14.09 There were fewer than 10 foreign drones in Estonian airspace on the night of March 31, and the Police and Border Guard Department (PPA) is checking three places where they could have crashed, ERR reports. As Colonel Uku Arold, Head of the Strategic Communications Department of the Estonian Defence Forces General Staff, told a press conference, this was the fourth night of a massive attack by Ukrainian drones on military and war-supporting infrastructure in northwestern Russia.
13.58 A Ukrainian citizen was detained by FSB representatives in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation on charges of espionage, according to the Russian publication Astra, which positions itself as independent.
13.50 Four more Kremlin supporters who justified Russia's armed aggression and spread fake news about the Defense Forces of Ukraine have been detained, the SBU reported on March 31.
13.39 The Ukrainian authorities should focus on achieving peace, not offering a truce. This was the cynical statement made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's readiness to agree to a truce for Easter.
13.10 Russians struck the railway infrastructure of the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk region. Four people are known to have been injured , Ukrzaliznytsia informs.
12.52 State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) officers, with the support of the Western Territorial Department of the Military Law Enforcement Service, have exposed an organized group that has established a systematic "business" of helping servicemen leave service. The scheme operated at the training center of the National Academy of the Land Forces. The SBI reported this on March 31.
It is noted that for 10-15 thousand US dollars, the defendants provided full support: instruction, removal from the unit, transportation and delivery home. The group included a serviceman in the SZCh, a former law enforcement officer and a civilian. They looked for clients directly at the training ground and persuaded them to voluntarily leave the service.
The organizer was a military man who had previously used this scheme himself and later began to earn money from others.
12.30 In the 4 years since the de-occupation of Bucha in the Kyiv region, 124 of the most audacious crimes committed by the Russian occupiers have been revealed, including 84 murders and 40 cases of cruel treatment of civilians. This was reported by the National Police.
11.59 The Russian occupation administration of Donbas has systematically promoted the thesis that a stable water supply will allegedly become possible only after the capture of Sloviansk, through which the Seversky Donets - Donbas canal passes. But now the occupiers have come up with a new version: Ukraine allegedly mined the water canal. This is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.
11.24 The Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and Bulgaria became the 29th security document that Kyiv signed in implementation of the G7 Joint Declaration. This was announced the day before by the Deputy Head of the OPU, Ihor Zhovkva, on Facebook.
10.56 Law enforcement officers have exposed a Russian spy network in Kyiv that was preparing contract killings of military personnel and volunteers . The group members were detained immediately before the crime was committed, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.
10.38 On Tuesday morning, five regions of Ukraine experienced power outages due to new Russian shelling. Ukrenergo reported this. Emergency restoration work is already underway wherever security conditions currently allow.
10.32 Information that the mobilization process will enter a new stage of administration from April 1 is not true. The Ministry of Defense has developed a comprehensive plan for the transformation of the mobilization system, which will be announced later. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Defense Yevhen Moysiuk, Ukrinform reports.
9.42 Russian troops shelled Sloviansk at night. Three people, including a child, were injured in a Russian airstrike. This was reported on March 31 by the head of the Sloviansk city military administration, Vadim Lyakh. According to him, the Russians struck the city at night with two FAB-250s.
The private sector was hit. At least 22 private houses and three cars were damaged. Currently, three people are known to have been injured. Among them is a 12-year-old girl. All of them have been provided with the necessary medical assistance.
9.21 On the front line over the past 24 hours, 140 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on March 31. Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces struck two areas of concentration of manpower and one Russian UAV control point.
8.40 Air defense forces neutralized 267 of the 289 drones used by Russian forces to attack Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported this on March 31. 20 strike UAVs were hit at 11 locations, as well as downed drones (fragments) falling at six locations.
8.19 On March 31, a Russian drone hit the balcony of an apartment on the third floor of an apartment building in Odessa, injuring a man. This was reported by the head of the Odessa OVA, Oleg Kiper. According to him, the facade was damaged, the glazing was broken, and the balconies from the second to fourth floors were destroyed. A fire broke out. It was quickly extinguished by rescuers. The injured 50-year-old man has a cut wound to his forearm. He is being provided with all necessary medical assistance.
7.51 Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Defense Forces killed and wounded 970 Russian occupiers, bringing the total enemy losses in the war to 1,297,670 people. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on March 31.
03.00 In the Poltava region, a person died and three people were injured, including a child, as a result of the fall of debris from a Russian UAV.
02.24 Ukrainian developers have tested a new generation of bomber drones that have a longer range, increased payload, and secure communications. The new developments allow operators to work from safer positions thanks to secure communications and increased flight range.