March 23, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting the front line southern region of Kherson — months after parts of it were freed from Russian occupation. 

On Wednesday, Zelensky paid a surprise visit to wounded troops at a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region near the front lines.

“I talked to the locals about their current issues and needs. We will restore and rebuild everything,” he added.

Russian forces destroyed much of the energy infrastructure in Kherson before they pulled out to the eastern bank of the Dnipro river. Months later, the two sides continue to exchange artillery strikes, from side to side, which have hindered repair work and power outages remain frequent. 

Zelensky visited one of the energy facilities in the region. 

“We considered the restoration of electricity supply in the de-occupied territories and the repair of equipment destroyed as a result of Russian shelling," he said. “We have to ensure full restoration and protection of our energy sector."

A meeting between Britain's Prince William and Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw focused on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its impact on Polish society, a spokesperson for the Prince of Wales said in a statement.

“They discussed the importance of the need for ongoing support to Ukraine and its people.”

The statement continued to say that he was “very much” looking forward to seeing President Duda and the first lady at King Charles’ coronation in May, adding the Prince of Wales also thanked him for attending the late Queen’s funeral.

Some context: Prince William made a rare, unannounced trip to Poland on Wednesday, meeting British and Polish troops stationed near the Ukrainian-Polish border and praising their “cooperation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom.”

The Prince of Wales first visited the 3rd Brigade Territorial Defense Force base in Rzeszów, where he met Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and viewed a display of military equipment.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have made a sweeping affirmation of their alignment across a host of issues – and shared mistrust of the United States – in a lengthy statement following talks between the two leaders in Moscow this week.

Their meeting, which took place under the shadow of Russia’s onslaught in Ukraine, left no question about Beijing’s commitment to developing its rapport with Moscow, despite Putin’s growing isolation on the global stage as its devastating war continues into its second year.

It also failed to move the needle on bringing that conflict to resolution.

Instead, Xi’s three-day visit to the Russian capital, which concluded Wednesday, was an opportunity for the two self-described “friends” to showcase their close personal rapport amid the pomp of a state visit – and lay out how they could advance a world order that counters one they see as led by Washington and its democratic allies.

The meeting culminated in more than a dozen agreements bolstering cooperation in areas from trade and technology to state propaganda, according to a Kremlin list. The leaders’ central statement focused on how the two countries would “deepen” their relationship.

Read the full story here.

During a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin thanked European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for the institution’s support in assuring Russia is held accountable for crimes committed during its invasion. 

Reiterating the Ukrainian demand for the establishment of a special tribunal to deal with Russian aggression, he called on the EU and the European parliament to support his proposal.

“We hope that the EU and the European Parliament will support our position as the most realistic and optimal way to restore justice and prevent possible armed conflicts in the future,” he said.

The ongoing depletion of Russian forces fighting for Bakhmut will allow Ukraine go on the counteroffensive in the eastern city "very soon," a top Ukrainian general said in a Telegram post on Thursday.

Syrskyi said Russian forces — made up mostly of fighters from the Wagner private military company — continue to try and take Bakhmut “at any cost, despite losses in both manpower and equipment.” 

The commander, who has paid frequent visits to soldiers close to the front line in and around Bakhmut, also paid tribute to Ukrainian soldiers defending the city.

“Under continuous fire from enemy artillery and aircraft, our soldiers at the front demonstrate superhuman resilience, courage and bravery,” he said. “In particular, the units of the 93rd, 10th, 57th and 5th Brigades who are now defending our homeland in the east of the country.”

Some context: In an update Wednesday, Ukraine's military said Russia's offensive capacity is diminishing in and around Bakhmut as Moscow's forces expend large numbers of troops trying to capture the city in fierce fighting.

At least nine people have now been confirmed dead as a result of a Russian drone attack on the Kyiv region on Tuesday night, Ukraine's state emergency service said in a statement Thursday. 

The service said it has completed rescue and recovery efforts after recovering nine bodies from the destroyed building. 

On Tuesday, a wave of Russian attacks with Iran-made Shahed drones hit a residential building in the town of Rzhyshchiv, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of the capital.

Kyrylo Chorine was inside an apartment block in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday, just meters from where the blast struck from a Russian missile attack.

Using a torch to point out his apartment, the 20-year-old student told CNN outside the complex that he “heard an explosion and saw a fire.”

Inside, all the windows are blown out. Chorine said his father was standing by a window when the explosion happened and narrowly avoided being killed. Still, Chorine and his parents say they will not be forced out of their home.

At least one person was killed and 34 others injured after Russian missiles hit two Zaporizhzhia apartment blocks on Wednesday, in what has been described as a “deliberate strike” to “kill civilians,” according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack “bestial savagery” on social media app Telegram and later said the wave of Russian strikes Wednesday would be met with a reply from Ukraine.

Russia unleashed a wave of deadly attacks on towns and cities across Ukraine on Wednesday as Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed from Moscow following talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Xi left Russia’s capital pledging to deepen ties with Putin but the meetings failed to achieve a breakthrough on Ukraine.

As Xi flew back to Beijing, Russia’s military launched a barrage of strikes with Iran-made Shahed drones on Ukraine’s Kyiv region, killing at least eight people, according to Ukrainian authorities. Andrii Niebytov, the Kyiv region’s police chief, said seven others were injured when a drone struck a dormitory building in the town of Rzhyshchiv.

In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, at least one person was killed and 34 injured — including two children — after Russian missiles hit apartment blocks, in what has been described as a “deliberate strike” to “kill civilians,” according to senior Ukrainian official and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.

Video of the attack shows an explosion blasting through the side of two nine-story residential buildings.

The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office said in a statement at least six missiles hit the city, causing extensive damage.

Xi’s trip fails to create path to peace: Wednesday’s wave of attacks in Ukraine came as Putin wrapped up hosting his Chinese counterpart in Moscow following a three-day state visit billed by Beijing as a peace mission, but which failed to achieve any breakthrough on resolving the conflict.

Both leaders called for the cessation of actions that “increase tensions” and “prolong” the war, according to their joint statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry. The statement did not acknowledge that Russia’s invasion and military assault were the cause of ongoing violence and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Read more here.

China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Wednesday his country's relationship with Russia could be "even more precious in the face of rampant unilateralism and hegemonism" as he praised leader Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow. 

Qin described the relations between China and Russia as representing “the correct direction of historical development” and having “world significance beyond the scope of the two sides,” according to a statement released after Xi's state visit.  

China and Russia will continue to uphold “good-neighborliness and mutual trust,” as Xi’s decision to choose Russia as his first foreign visit in his new presidency was a political decision made after careful consideration, Qin said.

In addition to praising the cooperation and friendship with Russia, Qin reiterated China’s stance on what the statement describes as the "Ukrainian crisis."

He added that China is “neither the maker nor the party” involved in the crisis but “an advocate” that supports a political settlement and promotes peace talks.

The statement did not name the country obstructing peace talks.

Some context: Meetings between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week yielded no breakthrough on resolving the Ukraine conflict. Both leaders called for the cessation of actions that “increase tensions” and “prolong” the war, according to their joint statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry. The statement did not acknowledge that Russia’s invasion and military assault were the cause of ongoing violence and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.