UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT

For 2024-03-10

Mar 10, 2024

Slava Ukraini! Since June 2023 I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 40 sources daily much of which ends up in the script. I will make this Draft available here for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.

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INSIDE UKRAINE

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

GSAFU Morning Report

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its situation update at 06:00 on Mar. 10 stated that it was 746 day of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

During the past day, 73 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 5 missile strikes, 95 air strikes, and 136 MLRS attacks across the positions of our troops and settlements. As a result of the Russian attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Destruction and damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.

At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.

Ukrainian missile forces struck the area of the concentration of personnel, radio-electronic combat station and the occupiers' anti-aircraft defence.

Air Force Daily Report

The Ukrainian Air Force in its situation update at 06:00 on Mar. 10 stated that during the previous day, it launched air strikes on 8 concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment of the adversary.

Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 35 of 39 Shahed UAVs launched by the russian occupiers.

Ukraine has accelerated the strengthening of defensive fortifications at the front

The UK Ministry of Defence in its Mar. 10 Intelligence update stated that Ukraine has likely accelerated construction of defensive positions at the front.

Fortifications include anti-tank "dragon teeth", ditches, infantry trenches, minefields and support points.

"It is very likely that the expansion of defence lines will reduce Russia's ability to move forward or take advantage of tactical advantages in its current offensive operations. The creation of large defensive positions indicates the debilitating nature of the conflict and means that any attempt to break through will be likely to be accompanied by heavy losses.”
— UK Ministry of Defence

On February 13, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Alexander Sirsky, announced that Ukraine has moved from offensive action to defensive operations.

The Khortytsia operational-strategic group

(Responsible for the Kup’yans’k, Lyman, and Bakhmut axes, in the northeastern part of Ukraine. )

Kup’yans’k axis: The enemy did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations in this area. Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold their positions.

Lyman axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 7 attacks near Terny and Spirne (Donetsk oblast)

Bakhmut axis: Ukrainian forces repelled 6 attacks near Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast)

The Tavria operational-strategic group

(Responsible for the Avdiivka, Novopavlivka, and Orikhiv axes, in the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)

Avdiivka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 16 enemy attacks near Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonen’ke and Pervomais’ke (Donetsk oblast).

Novopavlivka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka and Novomvahkilivka (Donetsk oblast) Over the last day, the enemy supported by aviation, made 30 attempts to break through the defence of Ukrainian troops.

Orikhiv axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 8 attacks near Robotyne, west of Verbove and east of Levadne (Zaporizhzhia oblast).

The Odesa operational-strategic group

(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)

Kherson axis: The enemy did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations in this area. Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold their positions.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing to report.

THE HOME FRONT

12 injured during russian missile strike in Donetsk Oblast

On March 10, around 03:00 a.m, Russian troops fired what likely were three S-300 missiles at Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast. 12 people, including a teenager, were injured as a result. Emergency medical care was provided to all injured residents. Ukrinform reports.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 39 Shaheds overnight

Russia attacked Ukraine with 39 Shahed 136/131 attack drones overnight. Air defence destroyed 35 of them. Svidomi reports. The air defence forces were operating in the Khmelnytskyi ( west of Ukraine), Kyiv, Cherkasy (centre), Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk (east), Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odesa (south of Ukraine, near the Black Sea) regions.

In the Kherson region (south of Ukraine, partially occupied since 2022), shelling damaged four high-rise buildings and nine private houses. Three people were injured. In Kherson, Russians damaged an educational institution, a medical facility, and a gas pipeline.

Russian troops shelled Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, six times. A 73-year-old man was killed in the village of Volokhivka.

In the north of Ukraine, Russians fired 63 times at settlements in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions. One civilian was injured in the village of Baranivka.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region in the east of Ukraine, Russians fired a missile at an agricultural enterprise in Novomoskovsk, injuring a 58-year-old man. In Nikopol, which is located opposite the temporarily occupied city of Enerhodar, Russian troops damaged a sports facility.

In Dobropillia, Russian drones hit residential buildings - rescuers found two bodies under the rubble. Another person was killed in Chasiv Yar.

RUSSIAN WORLD

Strike on aircraft factory in Taganrog: Satellite images reveal aftermath

Satellite images of the Taganrog aircraft factory, which was attacked by drones yesterday, have emerged, according to the Twitter account of the Frontelligence Insight OSINT analyst.

In the footage captured during the day on March 9th, damage to one of the hangars is visible. This includes noticeable signs of fire damage on the roof, indicating a fire. As explained by Militarnyi, the attacked hangars were used as the final assembly point for aircraft.

According to one of the OSINT experts, one of the A-50 aircraft is missing from the factory premises in the satellite images from March 8-9. However, it was present on February 29. Currently, it's unknown where the aircraft was relocated, but there's a likelihood that it was damaged if moved to the hangar later struck.

Russia bans the export of gasoline due to Ukrainian UAV strikes

The UK Ministry of Defence in its Mar. 9 Intelligence update stated that on Mar. 1 Russia introduced a 6 month ban on gasoline exports in an effort to stabilise prices in the domestic market amid rising demand.

It is likely that Russia’s refining capacity has been temporarily reduced by multiple Ukrainian UAV strikes against refineries throughout Russia.

Presuming they can curtail these strikes the ban will relieve pressure on supplies and enable Russia to make repairs to its refineries. A task made more difficult by western sanctions that have prevented the import of some necessary components

The Kremlin will be particularly sensitive to rising prices for gasoline and other daily commodities in the run-up to the Russian presidential election.

Fire breaks out at oil depot in Russia after drone attack

Speaking of the aforementioned story – a fire has broken out at an oil depot in Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. The governor of the Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said that a Ukrainian drone "crashed and caught fire" on the territory of the oil depot. Svidomi reports.

The Russian Ministry of Defence also reported the destruction of two Ukrainian drones in the Belgorod region, which also borders Ukraine.

Since the beginning of 2024, drones have attacked about ten oil and gas facilities in Russian regions, in particular, in St Petersburg, located more than a thousand kilometres from the border with Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that they are developing long-range drones to attack strategic targets in Russia.

WORLD NEWS

Pope says Ukraine should have 'courage of the white flag' of negotiations

Reuters reports that Pope Francis said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the "white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and that has killed tens of thousands.

Francis made his comments in an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, well before Friday's latest offer by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war.

The pope did not mention that Russia had invaded Ukraine or that this war could end by Russia leaving Ukraine.

Radosław Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland stated that If the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin withdraws his troops from the territory of Ukraine, the need for negotiations will immediately disappear.

"How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine? Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations," Sikorski wrote on X.

Francis has previously called for a diplomatic resolution of the war between Ukraine and Russia, however, this time he basically for the first time called on Kyiv to surrender.

Francis's statement drew condemnation from Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, who said that one cannot capitulate before evil.

Kuleba to Pope: Our flag is blue and yellow. We will not raise any other flags

The Vatican should not repeat historical mistakes. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter. It should consistently support Ukraine and its people in their just struggle. According to Kuleba, the strongest person in the battle between good and evil is the one who takes the side of good, rather than trying to equalise them, calling it "negotiations".

"As for the white flag, we know this strategy of the Vatican from the history of the first half of the twentieth century. I urge you not to repeat historical mistakes and to consistently support Ukraine and its people in their just struggle for their lives. Our flag is blue and yellow. We live, die and win under it. We will not raise any other flags,"
— Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Minister of Ukraine

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church head to Pope: No one in Ukraine is willing to surrender

No one in Ukraine would ever consider surrendering, said His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), in response to Pope Francis' "white flag" remark.

"I want to tell you one thing from the people of Ukraine. Ukraine is hurt, but unconquered! [...] Ukraine is exhausted, but it is resilient and will prevail! Believe me, no one is thinking of surrendering. Even where there is fighting ongoing today; listen to our people in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy… Come to Ukraine and see for yourself! If any of you do not believe in the victory of Ukraine – go to Confession! For this means that we have little trust in the living God present in the body of the Ukrainian people."

MILITARY & TECH