Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Russia will meet in Turkey.

Hospital and maternity house in Mariupol were destroyed during a Russian air raid.

Europeans must tighten sanctions against Russia so that it has no chance to continue the genocide in Ukraine.

At 11.22 am CET on March 9th, 2022, an emergency shutdown of the 750 kV-power line Chornobyl NPP occurred.

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine started collecting information on damage and destruction of cultural heritage sites committed by the Russian forces in Ukraine.

WAR ROOM

 

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Operational information

The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct a defense operation within the Southern, Eastern and Northern operational zones.

In the East, Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding back the enemy in three operational districts at once - Donetsk, Slobozhansk and Tavriya.

In the North-Western direction, a part of Ukrainian forces is covering the state border with the Republic of Belarus. The defense operation in Polissya and Volyn operational districts continues.

During the offensive operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the settlements of Borodyanka and Makariv, Russians suffered significant losses.

The city of Chernihiv has a strong defense.

The group of defense forces of the city of Kyiv holds its position.

Russian aggressors are demoralized; their psychological state is rapidly deteriorating.

At the same time, Russian units of the information warfare are preparing psychological attack to undermine trust in the representatives of the Ukrainian state authorities.

According to the available information, on March 8, 2022, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus conducted an internal anonymous poll on their readiness to take part in Russian war against Ukraine on the side of the aggressor. The results show that the vast majority of personnel is not ready to take part in war against Ukraine.

(https://bit.ly/3vRRGc6)

 

Operational information as of 24.00 on 09.03.2022 regarding the Russian invasion

Ukraine's defense forces are repelling and holding back the offensive of the Russian armed forces in all directions.

In some of them, the occupying forces lost their combat capability and put reserves into operation. In order to increase its combat capabilities, the enemy moves units and military units from other strategic directions to the borders of Ukraine.

The Republic of Belarus provides support to the aggressor in ensuring the supply of fuel, the use of railway infrastructure and the airfield network.

The likelihood of sabotage of military and civilian infrastructure remains.

The Russian Federation is not abandoning plans to encircle Kyiv, continuing the offensive operation in the Polissya and Seversky directions.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy attacked the settlements of Izyum, Petrovske, Hrushuvakha, as well as the cities of Sumy and Okhtyrka.

The enemy offensive also continues in the Donetsk and Tavriya directions.

The enemy increases grouping of troops in the Mykolaiv direction.

In the Black Sea and Azov operational zones, the aggressors continue to isolate the area of hostilities. Naval groups of the Russian Armed Forces are located in the areas of Cape Tarkhankut and Lake Donuzlav.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, in coordinated cooperation with other components of the defense sector of the state and the forces of national resistance, are restraining the massive offensive of the occupying forces.

 

Air Force

Ukrainian fighter jets and anti-aircraft missile units S-300 and Buk-M1 destroyed 4 Su-25 fighter jets and two helicopters of the Russian aggressors. There is also evidence of two downed cruise missiles of the enemy.

Assault bombers and bomb carrier of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues to support actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in various strategic areas and inflict missile and bomb strikes on columns of the enemy equipment.

(https://bit.ly/3MFm27S)

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Dmytro Kuleba: Petrifying war crime in #Mariupol. Russian air strike targeted a hospital and a maternity house. We could stop this barbarism by protecting our skies. For the sake of humanity, provide us with aircraft, now! Lives are being lost while this is being considered over and over again.

 

POLICY

 

President of Ukraine

Europeans must tighten sanctions against Russia so that it has no chance to continue the genocide in Ukraine.

Today is the day that defines everything. Defines who is on whose side. Russian bombs fell on a hospital and maternity house in Mariupol. Children's hospital. Maternity hospital that is functioning! Buildings are destroyed. As of now, there are 17 wounded. Disassembly of the debris is still ongoing. People were lucky to hide from the air threat in time.

Everything that the invaders are doing to Mariupol is beyond atrocities. Europeans! Ukrainians! Mariupol residents! Today, we must be united in condemning this war crime of Russia, which reflects all the evil that the invaders brought to our land.

All destroyed cities. Russians did unthinkable to Volnovakha, Kharkiv, Izyum, Okhtyrka, Chernihiv, Borodyanka, Hostomel, Zhytomyr and dozens of other Ukrainian cities, which never posed any threat to the Russian Federation.

Destroyed hospitals. Destroyed schools, churches, houses. And all the people killed. All the children killed.

Europeans! You won’t be able to say that you didn't see what happened to Ukrainians, what happened to Mariupol residents. You saw. You know.

Therefore, you must increase sanctions against Russia so that it no longer has any opportunity to continue this genocide.

You must put pressure on Russia to force it to sit down at the negotiating table and end this brutal war.

We have not done and never would have done anything similar to this war crime to any of the cities of the Donetsk, Luhansk or any other region. To any of the cities on earth. Because we are people. And you?

I spoke today with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. We also worked and spoke with Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson. Thank you for your support, Boris.

The partners are fully informed about what is happening in our Mariupol. And about the situation in all other regions of Ukraine, where hostilities continue. We are working to make Russia feel the consequences of its actions. We are doing everything to finally secure our sky. I am grateful to the vast majority of Ukrainians who support this position. Those who collect signatures, who convince their acquaintances in the West, write on social networks, organize rallies.

Together we must return courage to some Western leaders. So that they finally do what they had to do on the first day of the invasion. Either close the Ukrainian sky from Russian missiles and bombs, or give us fighter jets so that we can do everything ourselves. A pause without a decision has become simply deadly.

Today we managed to organize the work of three humanitarian corridors. From the city of Sumy, from the cities and towns of the Kyiv region and from Enerhodar.

In total, about 35,000 people were rescued. We will continue tomorrow. We are preparing six corridors. We pray that people will be taken out of Mariupol, Izyum, Volnovakha, etc. Taken to safe cities of our free Ukraine.

And I am sure that every Ukrainian whose help is needed by this people will do everything possible to make them feel our care. Until they can return home.

And finally. Every year on March 9, the winners of the Shevchenko Prize are announced. Our national award for the most significant contribution to the preservation and development of the Ukrainian spirit, our national culture.

I believe that our traditions must be observed during martial law and the fierce battles for our freedom. We must not betray them so that we preserve all ours, Ukrainian, completely while we are heading to victory. While we are heading to peace.

The decree was signed. Now I look forward to meeting the winners. But after the victory. After the victory of Ukraine.

(https://bit.ly/3pU0Z7D)