Despite alarming reports about the results of the March 29 round of the Ukrainian-Russian talks in Turkey, the Armed Forces of Russia continues their military operation in Ukraine.
On March 30, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that a strike with high-precision air-launched missiles destroyed large fuel depots in the Starokonstantinov and Khmelnytsky regions, from which fuel was supplied for the grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donbass.
Also, a strike with the operational-tactical missile system “Iskander” destroyed two large depots of missile and artillery weapons in the village of Kamenka, Donetsk Region.
The Defense Ministry added that in the area of Tumen, Rivne Region, a Su-24 of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down during an air battle.
During the past day, the air defense of the Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly destroyed 10 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of the settlements of Izyum, Novaya Kakhovka, Donetsk, Nikolaev, Berdyansk, Gorlovka, Lugansk and Rubizhne.
At the same time, Russian operational-tactical aviation and missile forces hit 64 military facilities of Ukraine. This included four command posts, including the headquarters of the Ukrainian special operations forces in the area of the village of Bereznigovatoe, Mykolaiv Region, three anti-aircraft missile systems – one S-300 near the town of Malin, Zhytomyr region and two – “Buk-M1” in the areas of Ugledar and Slavyansk.
Three installations of multiple launch rocket systems, two artillery batteries and 49 areas of concentration of Ukrainian military equipment and strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were also destroyed.
The Russian military says that since the beginning of the military operation, Russian forces have destroyed 124 aircraft and 77 helicopters, 214 anti-aircraft missile systems, 321 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,752 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 184 multiple rocket launchers, 734 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 1,640 units of special military vehicles.
The Russian Defense Ministry also addressed the propaganda campaign waged by the Ukrainian government:
“The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly exposed the cynical lies that the Kyiv nationalist regime uses to maintain its power in Ukraine and mislead the world community.
For example, on March 20, President Zelensky, speaking with a video message to the Israeli Knesset, accused Russia of allegedly striking the city of Uman in Cherkasy Region.
To heighten the dramatic effect, Zelensky stated, and I quote, that “this is a place that tens of thousands of Israelis visit every year for pilgrimage.”
I would like to emphasize that in the course of a special military operation, the Russian Armed Forces do not strike civilian targets. Especially, places of worship and any other places of public worship.
It is the Kyiv regime, in violation of international humanitarian law and simply morality, that uses such facilities as points for collecting and transporting weapons and Nazis to participate in hostilities.
Today we present evidence received from a member of the Jewish community of Uman that the Zelensky regime used for this purpose the building of the new city synagogue, located on Shosseiny Lane 1.
On March 21, that is, the day after Zelensky’s speech in the Knesset, the photographs recorded the formation of two columns with nationalists on the territory of the synagogue.
I draw your attention to the fact that the property, weapons and ammunition stored in the synagogue building were first loaded by nationalists into dump trucks, and then disguised as bags with construction debris.
At the same time, for the transportation of nationalists and foreign mercenaries from the western regions of Ukraine, as can be clearly seen in the photographs, buses that have the coloring of school vehicles with the corresponding signs “Children” are used.
Thus, the object of the Jewish cult in Uman is deliberately used by the Kiev nationalist regime for military purposes. In order to provoke a conflict and political pressure of Jewish religious organizations on Russia in the event of a fire impact on it,” a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said.
At the same time, it is important to note that according to the available information, the current military situation for the Russian Armed Forces is not easy. The actual picture of the conflict demonstrates that the air defense capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were nut fully suppressed as well as the initial estimation of these capabilities were downplayed.
The current active military developments are mostly focused on the region of the Donbass, where Russian-led forces are finishing the operation to take control of Mariupol city. Another hot point is the Severodonetsk-Lysichansk agglomeration, where the garrison of Kyiv’s forces is yet to be fully eliminated.
The rest of forces of the Kyiv government in the region use the time that they have to deliver regular strikes on civilian targets in DPR and LPR. In particular, residential areas of Donetsk city are being deliberately targeted by Ukrainian artillery.
Meanwhile, various sources report that the Russian Armed Forces have concentrated a large number of military equipment in Kursk Region (Russia). Reports suggest that these forces will be employed for the second phase of the Russian advance in Ukraine.
Summing up the current developments inside and around Ukraine, even of Moscow and Kyiv reach some kind of tentative agreement on the diplomatic de-escalation of the situation, the real easing of international and regional tensions will not be possible. The Ukrainian agreement and its foreign sponsors will make all what is possible to sabotage implementation or misrepresent the essence of any agreement and instigate the war in the region.