Russian invasion of Ukraine: The situation as of March 12, 2022

OPERATIONAL SITUATION

Total combat losses of the Russian troops from 24.02 to 12.03 were estimated at over 12,000 men, over 362 tanks, 1,790 armored vehicles and automotive equipment, and 141 aircraft (planes and helicopters). The threat of participation of the Belarusian army in the war against Ukraine persisted, and five battalion-tactical groups were sent to the border with Ukraine. The main objective of Russian troops continued to be the destruction of civilian infrastructure and inflicting maximum damage on the civilian population.

Kyiv and Zhytomyr directions:

Around 7:00, missile strikes completely destroyed the airfield in Vasylkiv (Kyiv region). The airfield’s runway was rendered inoperable, and an ammunition depot and a fuel and lubricant depot were destroyed.

In Kyiv, as a result of an air attack, the premises of the Oshchadbank in the Podilskyi district of the city caught fire. The fire was caused by a Russian kamikaze drone “Kub” carrying 1 kilogram of explosives (plastic-type) with metal balls.

Russian troops were shelling infrastructure that provides food supplies to the capital – on March 12, a frozen food storage warehouse in Kvitneve near Brovary burned down after shelling, and a fish processing facility in Hoholiv burned down.

Chernihiv and Sumy directions:

In Chernihiv region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces units managed to liberate two more population centers while preventing Russian forces from installing a pontoon crossing and deterring their intentions to advance toward Kyiv. More than 10 pieces of trophy equipment were seized during the offensive.

A night-time air raid on Chernihiv resulted in the destruction of the hotel “Ukraine”.

Kharkiv and Luhansk directions:

Russian forces were concentrating considerable effort to capture Severodonetsk. As a result of the shelling in the city, a sports and general education school, an apartment in a high-rise building, a store and a garage caught fire. Moreover, shelling continued in the city.

The Russian military bombed the town of Popasna (Luhansk Region) using phosphorus bombs.

Shelling continues in Kharkiv and Dergachy. The movement of the aggressor’s equipment was observed in Balakliya. Izyum direction continues to be challenging, in particular due to the lack of food for the local population.

According to the head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Russian fighter jet that fell in the territory of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.

Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions:

On the night of March 13 in the city of Sviatohirsk (Donetsk region) Russian troops launched an air strike on the territory of the Sviatohirsk Holy Dormition Lavra. There were monks and about 520 refugees in the monastery. Several people were injured in the attack; the premises of the Lavra were also damaged.

Border guards repulsed an attack by an enemy group in Mariupol, fifteen Russian servicemen were killed and two were taken prisoner. Russian troops did not stop shelling civilian infrastructure and civilians.

On the road between the villages of Nesterianka and Myrne in Orikhiv district, (Zaporizhzhia region) a Russian military tank ran over a Tavria car with civilians trying to leave the danger zone. Two adult men and one child were killed.

Mykolaiv and Kherson directions:

In the morning of 12.03, Grad and Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems were fired at Mykolaiv by the Russian Armed Forces. According to the head of the Mykolaiv regional state administration, a hospital, a boarding school and a boiler house were hit. Residential areas, the private sector, without military and important infrastructure facilities, were also damaged. Eight people were killed, 11 private houses were destroyed, 167 houses, a hospital and 11 educational institutions were damaged.

The Ukrainian military shot down two Russian helicopters over the Skadovsky district of the Kherson region.

Central direction:

A unit of the Dnipro anti-aircraft missile brigade destroyed two Russian cruise missiles over the Dnipro River.

There was also a missile strike on the Kanatovo airfield near Kropyvnytskyi.

Western direction

Russian aircraft struck at the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security (Yavoriv military range) near Lviv. This range was used for exercises of the Armed Forces and the National Guard of Ukraine with the help of NATO military instructors.

Resistance

In Zaporizhzhia region, residents of temporarily seized Melitopol held a rally demanding the release of the city’s mayor, Ivan Fedorov, who had been seized by Russian troops. In addition, a few hours after the protests began, it was reported that Russian soldiers in Melitopol kidnapped the coordinator of the daily protests, Olha Haisumova.

Likewise, residents of Berdiansk in Zaporizhzhia region organized a large pro-Ukrainian rally.

Residents of Kherson, despite threats from Russian troops, continued to hold pro-Ukrainian demonstrations.

Information confrontation

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine warns of a powerful wave of misinformation that has begun to spread among the citizens of Kherson. The main theses are “Kherson has left”, “Ukraine does not need Kherson”, “Ukraine has left the public without means of subsistence”. The country’s authorities urged the city’s residents not to succumb to provocations and not to believe in fakes.

In the Kherson region, Russian troops are preparing a referendum on the creation of the so-called “KPR” (Kherson People’s Republic). Representatives of the RF Armed Forces call the deputies of the Kherson Regional State Administration to find people who will be ready to cooperate and help organize a referendum. The deputy of the Kherson Regional State Administration notes that “the creation of the KPR will turn the region into a hopeless hole without life and future.”

Information began to spread on social networks that Russian troops had seized the Kherson water canal and were running the water supply. Kherson City Council said that everything is fine with Vodokanal and the company is working.

Foreign media began to spread information that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had advised the President of Ukraine to accept Russia’s proposals to end the war. Shortly after the publication of this information, the adviser to the head of the OP Mykhailo Podoliak denied this information.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

During the 16 days of the war in Ukraine, 79 children have already died and almost 100 have been wounded. So far, more than 280 educational institutions have been destroyed. In addition, as of March 12, more than 960,000 Ukrainians were left without electricity as a result of hostilities, and 260,000 citizens were left without gas supply.

A humanitarian catastrophe continues in Mariupol and Volnovakha district. The aggressors are holding the residents of the city captive and will not allow humanitarian aid there. Russian troops are also sabotaging “green corridors” to evacuate civilians to safer locations.

During an attempt to evacuate from the village of Peremoha (Baryshiv district, Kyiv region), Russian troops shot dead a convoy of civilians consisting exclusively of women and children. According to intelligence, seven people died as a result, including one child. The exact number of injured is currently unknown.

The protection of civilians in armed conflict is governed by international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Under these rules, deliberate attacks on civilians who are not directly involved in hostilities are tantamount to a war crime.

The Russian military kidnapped and took hostage the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov. It is now known that the aggressors are resorting to torture to force him to record a video with the support of Russia.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION

US President Joe Biden has agreed to provide additional $ 200 million in additional financial assistance to Ukraine. The United States will soon hand over a consignment of weapons to Ukraine, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, and small arms.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has once again said that Europe needs to get rid of its dependence on Russian gas as soon as possible – because it is also Russia’s “weapon” and because “trading in criminals is unacceptable.”

The Vatican is calling on Russia to end its aggression and is offering mediation to help end the war in Ukraine.

Deutsche Bahn has sent the first railway train with humanitarian aid to Ukraine. In 15 containers – sleeping bags, mats, diapers, canned food, drinking water, warm clothes and baby food, medical supplies. A total of 350 tons of humanitarian aid will arrive in Ukraine.

The world community is actively responding to Russia’s aggression, on March 12 a number of large companies announced the termination of cooperation with Russia.

• Colgate-Palmolive has announced the curtailment of all investments in Russia, media and advertising in the Russian market, as well as the suspension of imports and sales in Russia of all its products, except for essentials for health and hygiene.
• Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air has cancelled its flights to Russia.
• Sony Pictures suspends business in Russia.
• The gaming corporation Nintendo has decided to stop supplying consoles and software to Russia due to the war with Ukraine.
• The international Internet traffic exchange London Internet Exchange has disconnected Russian providers Rostelecom and Megafon from its system.
• International payment systems PayPal will block the electronic wallets of Russians.
• German Commerzbank AG has announced that it will stop doing new business in Russia and close current operations.
• The eBay platform has suspended all transactions with Russian addresses.
• The American telecommunications company Motorola Solutions has suspended sales, supplies and services in Russia
• Imperva, a software development and cybersecurity company, is shutting down in Russia and Belarus. The company has disabled all existing services: web application security, DDoS attack prevention, content caching, cloud storage protection, as well as data security and risk protection.
• MoneyGram payment system suspends services in Russia.

The information in the digest is collected from official sources — reports of state authorities of Ukraine, Ukrainian and international news agencies. The accuracy of the data is carefully checked by the project team and corrected in case of fake news.

Center for International Security