Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 21.29 Ukrainian defenders have thwarted a strategic offensive operation by the Russians that was supposed to take place in March. This was stated in the evening address of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
21.10 The United States is allegedly "not obligated" to help Ukraine, former President Joe Biden did so because he was allegedly "fooled." US President Donald Trump stated this during a luncheon with members of the board of directors of the Trump-Kennedy Center.
20.51 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin "is only afraid of the United States of America and its weapons," US President Donald Trump said, Clash Report reports.
18.59 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not mean the forced mobilization of people's deputies. He was talking about discussing changes to the legislation that would allow deputies to be military personnel. This is evidenced by the comment of the leader of the Servant of the People faction, David Arakhamia, to the UP.
17.52 The wind in the city of Labinsk in the Krasnodar Territory of Russia changed direction, causing neighboring tanks to explode at a burning oil depot there.
17.21 India is seeking safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reports this with reference to sources. At least 22 Indian-flagged ships and 611 Indian sailors remain in the Persian Gulf. According to an Indian source, six of these ships are loaded with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and the country is interested in their passage primarily to alleviate the shortage of this fuel for domestic needs.
16.57 The EU Council has adopted sanctions against nine individuals responsible for crimes against the civilian population in Bucha during the Russian occupation in 2022. This was reported by the press service of the department. Colonel General Alexander Chaiko, former commander of the Russian Eastern Military District and the highest-ranking Russian military officer on the territory of Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, was added to the sanctions list. He was the commander-in-chief of Russian troops in Ukraine when the Russians captured Bucha. Sanctions were also imposed on other high-ranking military officials who commanded Russian troops in Ukraine at the beginning of the aggression and committed atrocities against the residents of Bucha, Gostomel, Irpin and Borodyanka.
The troops under their command participated in looting, torture and forced civilians to remove the bodies of dead Russian soldiers. One of the individuals included in the list is also responsible for adopting a child from the Russian-occupied Donetsk region who was illegally deported to Russia.
16.57 After the Russian missile and drone attack on energy infrastructure facilities on March 7, oil product pollution was recorded in the Dniester River. Oily stains were found in the territory of Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia and Odessa regions along the river. This was reported by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Iryna Ovcharenko.
16.30 A repeat offender who, on behalf of the Russian Federation, coordinated the shelling of the Khmelnytskyi region has been sentenced to 15.5 years in prison. The SBU reported this. It is noted that the prison term with confiscation of property was received by a Russian agent whom the SBU detained in September 2024 in the Khmelnytskyi region. He coordinated air strikes in the region and set fire to the power equipment of the local branch of Ukrzaliznytsia.
16.25 Since the beginning of the day, the Russian invaders have carried out 67 attacks. The Ukrainian army is fighting in 11 directions and has had some successes , the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational summary as of 16:00.
16.09 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on the 12th anniversary of the illegal attempt to annex Crimea, reminded the world community of the violation of international law and repression on the temporarily occupied peninsula.
On March 16, 2014, Russia held a sham "referendum" under the sights of its military in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, and within a few days used it to create the appearance of "grounds" for annexation.
"The occupation of Ukrainian territories grossly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the fundamental principles of international law, in particular the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act," the statement said.
In total, during the years of occupation, at least 430 people have been subjected to politically motivated cases, although the real number may exceed 500, as not all cases are publicly reported by the occupation authorities. As of now, almost 300 people are in Russian captivity on politically falsified cases, among them 159 Crimean Tatars.
"The world must learn the "Crimean lesson": the lack of an adequate response to a brazen violation of international law only encourages the aggressor to further atrocities. Now, when Moscow continues its aggression and atrocities, there can be no question of any easing of restrictions - all types of pressure on the Kremlin must be intensified," the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
15.55 A large-scale special operation to expose illegal arms trafficking was conducted in Ternopil region . The National Police reported this. Weapons and ammunition worth 4.5 million hryvnias, as well as a large amount of cash, were seized.
15.44 Moscow and Nairobi have agreed to stop recruiting Kenyans to participate in Russia's war against Ukraine, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Reuters reports.
15.37 North Korea could have received up to $14.4 billion from Russia for weapons and military personnel fighting against Ukraine, according to a study by the South Korean National Security Institute, Yonhap reports.
14.13 In the Nemyshlyansky district of Kharkiv, a Russian drone hit a civilian enterprise, injuring three people. This was reported by the city's mayor Igor Terekhov on March 16. According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleg Synegubov, the injured were 52-year-old, 54-year-old, and 62-year-old men.
14.06 Russian Lancet drones cannot reach Kyiv. Parts of the drone could have been dropped from another aircraft as part of an information operation. This was stated by the advisor to the Minister of Defense, Sergey (Flash) Beskrestnov.
"These are strike UAVs with a small ammunition supply for hitting front-line targets. These UAVs physically do not have such a battery life and radio control capabilities," he noted.
According to the minister's advisor, the debris was likely intentionally dropped from the Shaheds as part of a special information operation by the Russians.
"We continue to collect information to analyze the events. We are studying radio signals, radar data, and photographs from interceptor drones," he added.
13.37 Two civilians were killed in a Russian drone attack in Sumy region on Monday, March 16.
As reported by the regional prosecutor's office, a truck driver died in the territory of the Sadivska community.
"According to the investigation, on March 16, 2026, at around 11:40 a.m., the enemy attacked a truck with a drone that was located on the territory of the Sadivska community of the Sumy district. As a result of the attack by the occupiers, the driver died," the report noted.
Also, an enemy drone attacked a civilian man on a motorcycle in the Velykypysarivska community. As noted by the head of the OVA, Oleg Grigorov, as a result of the strike, a 48-year-old local resident received serious injuries. Unfortunately, they did not have time to save him - the man died.
13.17 On Monday night, the Ukrainian military struck air defense systems and command posts of the Russian invaders. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
12.54 Russian military attacked Sumy with drones, three civilians were injured.
"Today, the Russians launched a targeted strike on the Sumy community. The drone hit the Zarechny district of Sumy - civilian cars were hit. A two-story residential building was also damaged," said Oleg Hrygorov, head of the OVA.
Head of the Sumy MVA Serhiy Kryvosheyenko added that three people were injured: one woman and two men.
According to him, a UAV hit was recorded in the central part of Sumy, the impact occurred at the intersection of roads in a busy traffic area. Five cars were previously damaged. The city has restricted traffic towards the airport.
12.47 The Russians have used a new type of attack drone for the first time to strike Kyiv, which poses a significant threat. The drone that crashed near the Independence Monument is a "Lancet" with artificial intelligence (AI). Defense Express reports this, citing sources.
Whether this particular object was the target of this strike, or whether the drone was aiming at something else, is currently being investigated.
"The fact that this is the "Lancet" is indicated by the wreckage of this drone. In particular, the rather characteristic X-shaped tail of the "Lancet" with a pusher propeller. There is also a photo of the wing, on which there is a number with the RF index," the publication says.
12.29 SBI employees exposed a serviceman from one of the military units in Kropyvnytskyi, who, together with a former city council member, organized a scheme to make money from men who were trying to avoid mobilization.
The military man was looking for men who had already received summonses and were looking for a way to avoid service. He involved a former deputy in the deal, who assured him that he had connections in medical institutions and could help with the necessary documents.
For $11,500, the "clients" were offered several options for obtaining unfit for service status. In particular, they could be hospitalized in a hospital or arrange for medical examinations with subsequent diagnosis, such as hypertension or diabetes. In the future, these conclusions were to become the basis for declaring the men unfit for military service during the military medical commission.
Law enforcement officers detained both suspects after receiving money from another "client."
They were informed of the suspicion of abuse of influence. The court chose a preventive measure for the suspects - detention with the right to post bail of 1.5 million hryvnias. The defendants face up to eight years in prison.
11.49 In Zaporizhia, a shooting occurred between police officers and military personnel in the SZCh (unauthorized abandonment of a military unit). One soldier was killed , the National Police reported.
11.45 A woman died as a result of the shelling of Zaporizhzhia. Three more people were injured. They are under medical supervision. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhzhia OVA Ivan Fedorov. It is noted that rescuers pulled out a woman and a girl who were under the rubble. They are being provided with medical assistance. According to the updated information, a 15-year-old girl and a woman with a disability were under the rubble.
11.23 On Monday night, Russian invaders launched 211 attack drones of various types over Ukraine. Air defense and electronic warfare units shot down/suppressed most of the enemy targets, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
10.57 A deserter who worked for the FSB and corrected Russian air strikes was detained in the city of Dnipro. The SBU reported this. The agent "hunted" checkpoints and reserve command posts of Ukrainian troops, as well as stations of the regional branch of Ukrzaliznytsia.
10.43 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published data on the manufacturers of the main systems and components of the Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber in the Weapons Components section of the War&Sanctions portal.
"The Su-34 multi-role fighter-bomber is the main carrier of guided aerial bombs with universal guidance and correction modules (GCMs) and unified inter-service guidance munitions (UMPB). They are one of the enemy's main means of striking ground targets at tactical and operational depths," the GUR noted.
Military Intelligence has published a list of 79 enterprises that are part of the cooperation for the production of the Su-34 and its main components and systems.
Almost a third of them are not under Western sanctions, and therefore may continue to have access to necessary foreign components and technologies.
10.35 On Monday morning, new power outages were recorded in four regions of Ukraine due to attacks by Russian invaders. This was reported by Ukrenergo. Where security conditions allow, emergency restoration work is already underway, the company assured.
10.21 Drone debris fell in three districts of Kyiv. The fall of UAV debris was recorded in the very center of the capital - on Independence Square. There were no injuries. Debris from Russian drones also fell in the Solomyanskyi and Svyatoshynskyi districts of Kyiv.
10:00 Russian troops attacked Kharkiv with drones on the morning of March 16. One person was injured. This was reported by the city's mayor, Igor Terekhov, on Telegram.
First, the mayor reported two hits by a Shahed UAV in the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv, and later another strike on the Shevchenkivskyi district.
"There is at least one injured person at the scene of the impact," Terekhov wrote.
Later, the mayor added that another blow fell on the border of Kyiv and Shevchenkivskyi districts, where transport infrastructure was damaged.
9.52 In Mykolaiv, a missile and drone attack caused damage to an educational institution and a high-rise building. This was reported by the head of the Mykolaiv OVA, Vitaliy Kim, on March 16.
09.48 The capital's authorities are recording the consequences of the attack by Russian drones in the Shevchenkivskyi district of the capital. In the Solomyanskyi district, debris has fallen on the territory of non-residential buildings. Debris has also been recorded falling in the Svyatoshynskyi district. There, grass is burning in an open area.
09.16 Explosions were heard in Kyiv, air defense is working. According to Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, debris from a UAV fell in the very center of the city.
"There is no fire or casualties. The enemy attack on Kyiv continues. Stay in shelters!" the mayor added.
Earlier, an air alert was declared in the capital. The KMVA reported a threat from Russian drones.
08.51 The number of victims of Russia's massive attack on the Kyiv region on the night of March 14 has increased to six. A man born in 1981 died in the hospital from injuries received during the massive enemy shelling on the night of March 14.
08.22 Over the past 24 hours , 167 combat clashes were recorded on the front. Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces struck two areas of concentration of manpower and three other important Russian facilities.
07.58 As a result of the Russian strike on Zaporizhia, more than 7,500 subscribers lost power. Energy workers will begin restoration as soon as the security situation allows.
16 houses in the city were damaged. Broken windows, damaged doors and roofs were recorded. One private house suffered significant damage, another 15 buildings have minor damage - among them two apartment buildings and 13 private ones.
07.44 Due to Russian strikes on railway infrastructure in Sumy region, suburban trains have been temporarily canceled . The reason for this decision was the targeted strikes by the Russians on railway facilities in the region. The damage is so significant that for the safe passage of trains, specialists need several days to carry out emergency repair work.
07.23 From February 24, 2022 to March 16, 2026, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine were approximately 1,279,930 people (+760 per day).
04.35 On the night of March 16, the Russian military launched an attack on Ukraine using Shahed drones . Explosions were heard in Mykolaiv, hits were recorded in Kharkiv. According to the mayor of Kharkiv, in the Kyiv district of the city, the Situation Center recorded strikes by Shahed kamikaze drones. Relevant operational services are working at the scene. A few minutes later, Terekhov reported another hit in the Kyiv district of Kharkiv.
03.31 Russian units have reached new positions near the settlement of Mirne, located in the Zaporizhia region. This was reported by the analytical project DeepState.
01.12 On the night of Monday, March 16, Russian troops attacked Zaporizhia. As a result of the shelling, according to preliminary data, two women aged 48 and 81 and an 18-year-old boy were injured. As a result of the shelling, residential buildings were damaged. Large-scale fires broke out at the arrivals site. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:54 From 16:00 to 20:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 59 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
34 – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
13 – over the Moscow region, including 12 UAVs flying to Moscow,
Four – over the territory of the Kaluga region,
Four – over the territory of the Smolensk region,
Two – over the territory of the Tver region,
One – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
One – over the territory of the Republic of Adygea
. 21:53 "Severiane" hit an American armored personnel carrier in the Sumy region,video.
21:28 Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov checked progress in carrying out combat missions by units and military units of the Southern Group of Forces.
20:19 Crews of 152mm 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled guns from the Vostok group worked on enemy UAV control points in the urban area of the village of Vozdvizhevka in the Zaporizhia region,video.
19:45 Zaporizhzhia direction successes of the Russian Armed Forces. March 16
In the Zaporizhzhia region, on the front line along the Lyubitske-Rozhdestvenskoye line, the Vostok group is eliminating a pocket.
Ukrainian military units in Vozdvyzhenka and Verkhnyaya Tersa are surrounded on three sides.
From Gorky, our assault aircraft are advancing north toward Verkhnyaya Tersa.
The Russian Armed Forces are expanding the control zone in the vicinity of Rozhdestvenskoye to the south, to Vozdvizhenka, and to the northwest, to the village of Zarnitsa.
The enemy did not make any active attempts to deploy infantry, concentrating on reinforcing and rotating personnel in the forward positions.
19:29 In the Darnitsky district of Kyiv, three employees of the Shopping Center forcibly mobilized a man without checking his documents, video.
18:41 Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate criminal actions by Ukrainian armed forces against civilians in the Belgorod region
According to local authorities, a civilian was injured in an FPV drone attack on a car in the town of Grayvoron. In the village of Rzhevka in the Shebekinsky District, a drone struck a minibus, injuring two civilians. A man was injured in a drone attack on a car on a business premises in the village of Grafovka in the Shebekinsky District.
17:42 In relation to the Ukrainian serviceman who participated in the illegal invasion of the Kursk region,excitedcriminal case
The Main Military Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case against Vladimir Soroka, a soldier from the 41st separate mechanized brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine, who committed a terrorist act in the Kursk region (subparagraphs “a” and “b” of Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
17:33 From 08:00 to 16:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 96 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
54 UAVs were flown over the Bryansk region,
11 UAVs were flown over the Moscow region,
Seven UAVs were flown over the Kaluga region,
Seven UAVs were flown over the Kursk region,
Five UAVs were flown over the Smolensk region,
Four UAVs were flown over the Belgorod region,
Four UAVs were flown over the Sea of Azov,
Two UAVs were flown over the Vladimir region,
One UAV was flown over the Yaroslavl region, and
One UAV was flown over the Republic of Adygea.
15:59 From the Ukrainian Armed Forces implemented an attack on the adjacent grounds of the Vasylivka District Hospital in the Zaporizhia region. The shelling damaged the façade of the medical facility, as well as cars in the parking lot.
15:25 In the Shebekinsky district, in the village of Malomikhaylovka, a drone struck and wounded a civilian.
The man was riding a bicycle at the time of the attack. An ambulance crew took him to Belgorod City Hospital No. 2. According to preliminary information, the victim suffered shrapnel wounds to the abdomen and leg. The necessary medical assistance is being provided.
14:33 UAV operators of the 71st Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Guards "North" early in the morning opened the location of the enemy's Novator armored fighting vehicle in the area of the village of Volokhovskoye (Volchansky District).
13:38 Summary of the Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of March 16, 2026
Units of the "North" force grouping improved their tactical position. They defeated the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Bobylivka, Myropillia, Bititsa, Ryasne, and Kucherovka in Sumy Oblast. In Khar'kov Oblast, units of two mechanized brigades, two motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade were defeated near the settlements of Kolodezne, Granov, Shelkoplyasy, Rubizhne, Veseloe, and Berezniki in Khar'kov Oblast.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 285 service members, three armored combat vehicles, 11 vehicles, and an artillery piece. Two electronic warfare stations and eight supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the "West" group of forces improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated the personnel and equipment of four mechanized brigades, an assault brigade, and a territorial defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the settlements of Krasny Liman and Brusovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Osinovo, Borovaya, and Palamarevka in the Khar'kov region.
The enemy lost over 180 troops, a tank, a US-made M-113 armored personnel carrier, four armored combat vehicles, 24 vehicles, and two artillery pieces. An electronic warfare station and four ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions. They defeated formations of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a naval infanret brigade near the settlements of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Rai-Aleksandrivka, and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 130 troops, three armored combat vehicles, 14 vehicles, and three field artillery pieces, including two Western-made ones. Two ammunition depots and seven supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the Center Forces Group improved their tactical position. They defeated the personnel and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an infantry brigade, an airborne assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and three National Guard brigades near the settlements of Maryivka, Dobropillya, Belitske, Hryshino, and Kryvorizhzhia in the Donetsk People's Republic and Novopidgorodne in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 300 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, 16 cars, an artillery piece, and two electronic warfare stations.
Units of the "East" force group advanced deep into the enemy's defenses. They defeated formations of a mechanized brigade, an airborne assault brigade, two assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a National Guard brigade near the settlements of Barvinovka, Vozdvizhevka, Kopani, and Rivne in Zaporizhia Oblast and Prosyana in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The enemy lost more than 280 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 10 cars, an artillery piece and a supply depot.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized and mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov, Zaporozhets and Preobrazhenka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Up to 55 military personnel, 11 vehicles, four electronic warfare stations and a supply depot were destroyed.
13:01 In the village of Bessonovka, Belgorod District, a drone struck a service vehicle.wounded a fighter of the Orlan unit.
An ambulance crew transported the victim to Belgorod City Hospital No. 2, where he was diagnosed with a mine blast injury, barotrauma, and a shrapnel wound to the back. Medical care was provided, and further treatment will continue on an outpatient basis.
11:15 Summary about the operational situation in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours.
In total, 27 enemy drones of various types were shot down between 9:00 AM on March 15 and 7:00 AM on March 16. The enemy used artillery on evacuated areas 41 times. Drones attacked our territory three times by dropping explosive devices.
10:43 In the small village of Korenek (Shostka district) the enemy equipped the UAV launcher from which Ukrainian terrorists launched attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Khomutovsky district of the Kursk region.
UAV operators from the Northern Group destroyed the enemy drone control center along with valuable equipment.
10:14 Civilian suffered as a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In the village of Grafovka, Shebekinsky District, an FPV drone struck a car on a business premises. Self-defense forces transported the man, who is in serious condition with an open head injury and shrapnel wounds to the head and back, to the Shebekinsky Central District Hospital. All necessary medical assistance is being provided.
9:42 During the past night from 23:00 Moscow time on March 15 to 8:00 Moscow time on March 16, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 145 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
53 UAVs were flown over the Moscow region,
38 UAVs were flown over the Bryansk region,
11 UAVs were flown over the Yaroslavl region,
Eight UAVs were flown over the Kaluga region,
Seven UAVs were flown over the Smolensk region,
Six UAVs were flown over the Rostov region,
Five UAVs were flown over the Ulyanovsk region,
Four UAVs were flown over the Tver region,
Three UAVs were flown over the Voronezh region,
Three UAVs were flown over the Kostroma region,
Three UAVs were flown over the Republic of Crimea,
Two UAVs were flown over the Volgograd region,
One UAV was flown over the Krasnodar region, and
One UAV was flown over the Saratov region.
9:00 Center artillerymen destroys enemy
The crew of the 152mm 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer hit a forward command post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a Krasnopol-M2 high-precision projectile in the Dobropillya direction.
A crew of Russian paratroopers using a 152mm Giatsint-B gun destroyed an enemy group at a stronghold in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
8:32 Frontline summary as of the morning of March 16, 26
Zaporizhzhya Front
In the Kamensk direction, there are no changes in the LBS.
In the Hulyai-Polye sector, Russian Armed Forces are fighting on the approaches to Hulyai-Polye.
There is progress between Zalizichny and Mirny.
Russian troops are occupying positions south of Verkhnyaya Tersa, as well as north and northwest of Vozdvizhevka.
Fighting has been reported in Zarnitsa.
Donetsk Front:
On the Krasnoarmeysk front, Russian forces are conducting a cleanup operation on the northwestern outskirts of Grishino.
Fighting continues for a mine west of Rodinske.
On the Dobropolsky front, fighting continues for Belitskoye.
In the Konstantinovsky direction, fighting is ongoing in the area between Ilyinovka and Konstantinovka, as well as to the east of the city.
In the Krasnolimansk direction, Russian forces are advancing between Aleksandrovka and Sosnovy.
In the Seversk direction, there is progress south of Reznikovka.
Russian forces are taking up new positions northwest of Krivaya Luka.
Fighting is ongoing near Nikiforovka and Fedorovka Vtoraya.
Heavy fighting is ongoing in the Kupyansk direction in the north of the city.
Russian forces are pressuring the enemy's defenses in the areas of Petropavlovka, Podolovka, and Kucherovka.
In the Volchansk direction, there is progress in Verkhnyaya Pisarevka.
Fighting continues in the Volchansk Khutors.
8:00 Calculation of the Tornado-S MLRS of the Vostok group inflicted rushing blows to enemy reserves in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] More than half of the city of Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has come under the control of the Russian army. This was announced on March 16 by Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov.
"The most active fighting continues in the Krasnoliman area, where assault units of the group are fighting to liberate Krasny Liman. The Zapad group controls more than half of the city," Gerasimov noted during an inspection of the Southern Group of Forces' combat missions.
The military commander added that Russian troops liberated 12 settlements during the first two weeks of March. Russian forces also control 60% of the city of Konstantinovka.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Denis Davydov and Andrey Khrustalev
[REGNUM] The daring special operation to confiscate money and gold allocated for organizing the "Maidan" in Budapest, carried out by Hungarian intelligence services on March 5, stirred up the deep-seated hatred of their Ukrainian counterparts.
Among Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's various sins, they also recalled the events leading up to World War II, the anniversary of which conveniently coincided with the public conflict between Ukraine and Hungary. From March 15–18, 1939, the "vile Magyars" crushed the "young Ukrainian state"—against the backdrop of Czechoslovakia's occupation, its autonomous region of Carpatho-Ukraine declared independence.
This seemed like a blatant provocation, since in the eyes of the Hungarians, Transcarpathia was an integral part of the kingdom torn to pieces after the First World War. And for their Polish neighbors, it was a strong irritant, since the residents of Galicia literally worshiped this "Ukrainian Piedmont," also cherishing separatist ideas.
For modern Ukrainian nationalists, the "tragic history of Carpathian Ukraine" is, of course, yet another example of heroic struggle and suffering inflicted undeservedly—because of disgusting neighbors who "hate everything Ukrainian."
And, accordingly, they continue to do this without any reason – a “Ukrainian patriot” can’t be guilty of anything.
Thus, the chairman of the current political party OUN*, Bohdan Chervak, wrote the following in one of his posts back in January 2026:
"Prime Minister Orbán justifies his anti-Ukrainian activities by citing his country's 'peacefulness.' Ukrainians felt Hungary's 'peacefulness' particularly strongly in 1939, when the Hungarian army occupied Carpatho-Ukraine. According to the then Hungarian Ministry of the Interior, 4,500 Ukrainians died in Transcarpathia in March 1939... Sooner or later, Ukraine will present a bill for the crimes committed on the territory of Carpatho-Ukraine."
Accordingly, these March days, social media feeds are literally awash with details of how the Magyars stifled Ukrainian freedom. Although, of course, it wasn't all that simple and straightforward.
This story begins with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when smaller nations began actively pursuing self-determination. However, the First Rada (Council) of Rusyns in November 1918 could not imagine itself apart from Hungary and voted for joining it as an autonomous territory—thus, "Ruska Krajina" was born.
However, the process of land division continued even after the end of World War I, and so it was decided to squeeze the territory into the newly created Czechoslovakia. This was something no one wanted—the autonomy was extremely backward and dismal. Nevertheless, the Allies insisted, unwilling to leave any excess territory to the truncated Hungarian People's Republic, and on September 10, 1919, the now "Subcarpathian Ruthenia" became a Czechoslovak autonomy.
The region's status was finally confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, but this did not provide any clarity.
Hungarian and Polish soldiers greet each other at the border, 1939.
Politically, there was disarray and turmoil; Ukrainophiles led by the Greek Catholic priest Avgustin Voloshin and Russophiles led by Andrej Brody (the difference in positions was purely cultural) demanded autonomy within Czechoslovakia. The United Hungarian Party, naturally, advocated a return to their native haven, and only the communists (and there were quite a few of them) wanted unification with Soviet Ukraine.
Czech parties received only 25% of the vote in the 1935 elections. It's important to understand that in the 1930s, Transcarpathia had a population of over 796,000, of whom only 115,000 were Hungarians, and the vast majority were Ruthenians; no one identified themselves as "Ukrainians."
And this mountain enclave had no connection with Ukraine whatsoever—neither culturally, nor territorially, nor economically—thinking of its fate, in any circumstances, within the confines of its own little world.
The autonomy that befell him as a consequence of the tragic decision of the Munich Conference of 1938, which struck Europe in a tragic way, didn't change this in any way. One party simply won: Brody, appointed the first prime minister, was quickly arrested as a Hungarian spy, and his replacement, Voloshin, began to Ukrainize the region in a thoroughly modern spirit.
Which explains the sympathy he receives from modern propagandists: the replacement of street signs, the conversion of the state apparatus to the Czech language, the banning of all political parties except one, and, of course, the quickly organized concentration camp where real and imaginary "spies," Russophiles, critics of the regime, and also Galicians naively fleeing from their Poland to the "Ukrainian Republic" for violating the Czechoslovak border were imprisoned.
It is characteristic that immediately after his appointment, Voloshin visited the German embassy in Prague.
After the meeting, Chargé d'Affaires Andor Genke sent an urgent telegram to Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin :
"Today, Carpatho-Ukrainian Prime Minister A. Voloshin came to me and asked me to convey the deepest gratitude of the Carpatho-Ukrainian people to the Führer and Reich Chancellor for their liberation. Carpatho-Ukraine knows that it achieved its independence solely thanks to the policies of the Führer and Reich Chancellor, and it will never forget this!"
From this it's easy to conclude that, along with Slovakia's declaration of independence, the autonomy of Carpathian Ruthenia was one of the ways to dismantle Czechoslovakia. And then, no one asked the opinion of the "Ukrainophiles": on March 13, 1939, Hungary received Hitler's permission to completely occupy Transcarpathia.
On March 14, a military operation began involving 40,000 troops, 40 armored vehicles and tankettes, up to 500 guns, 15 aircraft, fighters from local Hungarian paramilitary organizations, and Polish saboteurs. Meanwhile, regular units of the Polish Army and border guards sealed off the northern border.
Carpathian Ukraine could muster only 10,000-12,000 men for its defense, the so-called "Carpathian Sich," but only 2,000-3,000 of this force had military training. This included OUN* militants, including the ubiquitous Roman Shukhevych (the future commander-in-chief of the UPA*) and Yuriy "Kalina" Lopatynsky.
Telegrams from Voloshin to Hitler were of no help at all, nor was the hasty declaration of independence of what was now “Carpathian Ukraine” on March 15.
By March 16, Hungarian troops were already on the outskirts of the regional capital, Khust, and by March 18, it was all over—the Sich Riflemen, who had fled in different directions, were caught by the Romanians, Poles, and the Hungarians themselves, promptly executed and sent to concentration camps.
Bomber aircraft were used to destroy individual pockets of resistance.
Individual units of the Carpathian Sich retreated into the mountains and continued their resistance until the cold weather set in. The Rusyns suffered the greatest losses in this operation: units of the Czechoslovak army, not considered strange savages by the Hungarians, lost about 40 men killed and about 120 wounded.
Voloshin and his entourage fled to Romania, then to Yugoslavia, and then via Vienna to Prague, where the Germans appointed him rector of the local Ukrainian Free University.
After the annexation of Transcarpathia, the Hungarian authorities launched a mass purge of those who had succumbed to Voloshin's propaganda and raised their hand against the true rulers. More than 60,000 people were sent to camps and forced labor, while more than 70,000 fled to the Ukrainian SSR.
Carpathian Ukrainian civil activist Vikentiy Shandor described those events as follows:
"Magyar officers in Khust reported that 70 Sich and Plastun members were killed between Sevlyush and Velyka Kopania. Twenty-three Sich members were shot in the Khust courthouse, and up to 30 in the magistrate's courthouse. According to a local priest, 36 people were hanged in Boroniava. In Volovo, Dr. Figura, high school professor Dr. Zavalnytsky, and 12 Plastun and Sich members were killed."
However, the harsh actions of the Hungarians were a response to the incompetent policies of Voloshin and his entourage, who simply put people under the hammer.
In Budapest, they were well aware that if they didn’t deal with this nest of separatism, they would end up with the same thing as Czechoslovakia – a constant source of tension and problems that no one needed.
The region became part of Ukraine only in 1944, when the Red Army drove out the Germans and Hungarians and incorporated it into the Ukrainian SSR.
From Hungary's perspective, the current presence of the Hungarian enclave within Ukraine is a grave injustice. At the same time, the rhetoric of Ukrainian state ideology is such that its elimination is a perfectly logical step. Moreover, the romanticization of the turbulent three-day campaign of "Carpatho-Ukraine" adds fuel to the fire, returning the current situation to the state of 1939, creating problems out of nowhere and provoking Hungarians to retaliate.
Including through the creation of such units in the Ukrainian Armed Forces as the neo-Nazi battalion “Carpathian Sich” and the dissemination of the concept that “World War II for Ukrainians began on March 15, 1939.”
In particular, it is being actively promoted among the public and students of the Kyiv National University by the famous historian, Professor Vladimir Sergiychuk.
The theme of the "tragedy of Carpathian Ruthenia" is heard on almost every TV. Hungrophobia is being whipped up by all Ukrainian media and pro-government bloggers: in pursuit of their chimera of "Ukrainophilia," the Kyiv authorities are following in Voloshin's footsteps.
Knowing full well that if anything happens, they will also throw people under the hammer, but will always find some cushy place for themselves.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
