07.03.2022

The situation as of 8:00, March 8, 2022 (other languages version in PDF)

OPERATIONAL SITUATION

Total combat losses of Russian troops from 24.02 to 07.03 are estimated at over 11,000 men, over 290 tanks, 1,454 pieces of armored and automotive equipment and 114 aircraft (planes and helicopters). Russian troops were concentrating their main efforts on the encirclement of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Mariupol, and Mykolayiv. The aggressor continued to carry out missile and bombing raids as well as artillery strikes, along with the use of the Republic of Belarus airfield network to conduct air strikes against Ukraine. The Kyiv City Defense Forces continued to protect  the capital along the outer edge of the defense and in additionally defined directions.

Kyiv and Kyiv region:

In Makariv, aggressors hit the territory of Makariv bread factory with a shell. The State Emergency Service rescued 5 people from under the rubble. 13 others were killed.

In the locality of Myla (Kyiv region), a unit on Kadyrov’s military fired shells at civilians.

Residents of the town of Irpin came under fire while evacuating, several people were killed and wounded.

Around 20:15, Ukrainian Air Force pilot shot down a Kalibr cruise missile near Obykhiv. Air defense assets also shot down two enemy aircraft in the skies above Kyiv.

North:

The aggressor’s grouping operating in certain areas of Konotop and Okhtyrka lost up to 50 percent of its personnel. Russian troops needed to regroup and resupply to continue the offensive.

Near the town of Pryluky (Chernihiv region) the Armed Forces completely destroyed a large convoy of fuel trucks of the Russian Federation army.

On March 7, around 20:20, an airstrike caused a 10 cubic meter tank fire in the city of Zhytomyr. Preliminarily, there were no dead or injured. 20 people and 4 vehicles of the State Emergency Service were involved in extinguishing the fire. Two half-empty tanks caught fire in Chernyakhiv village. Residents of nearby private houses were evacuated.

South:

The Ukrainian Navy destroyed 30 military helicopters at the Chornobayivka airfield near Kherson, where the Russian Armed Forces decided to deploy their aviation fleet. Another Russian Mi-24 helicopter was shot down near Voznesensk.

Around noon, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an attack in the direction of Mykolaiv airport. As a result of the attack operation, the airport was liberated and Russian forces suffered significant losses. The Russian Armed Forces were retreating to reorganize, but Ukrainian forces continued their offensive to consolidate their hold over the airport.

Russian troops launched massive shelling of residential areas of Mykolaiv from Smerch multiple rocket launchers, which resulted in five fires in the residential sector and industrial facilities (Zorya-Mashproekt State Enterprise). Also, the Russian Armed Forces fired missiles at the port of Olvia (Mykolaiv). There were no casualties. The area struck belongs to the Qatari company “QTerminals Olvia” as a concession.

In Mykolaiv Russian troops hit a local barracks with a Kalibr cruise missile during missile attacks in the evening. The explosion killed 8 servicemen, 8 more are still missing, and 19 people were wounded.

On the Mariupol direction, the Azov Detachment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the Russian military. In particular, the fighters clashed with a Russian army tank battalion on T-72B3 tanks and defeated it.

In the afternoon, Russian troops made an attempt to launch a missile strike on a residential area in the Odesa region. Ukrainian air defense shot down all the missiles. No one was injured or killed.

Kharkiv and Kharkiv region:

While attempting to capture the town of Izyum, the enemy suffered losses and retreated. The invaders resorted to terror in the city, shelling civilian premises and infrastructure.

In Kharkiv, Russian troops fired rockets at an apartment block, causing 1 house to be partially damaged. Civilian casualties are being estimated.

Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down 1 enemy fighter jet in the sky over Kharkiv region.

Information confrontation

The enemy continued to distribute first-person content on social media that negatively portrayed the activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Russian media began to spread information about humanitarian corridors from Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy, organized since 10:00 a.m. on March 7. These corridors lead from Ukrainian territory to the territory of the Russian Federation. In the future, the residents who used these corridors can be used to create the necessary image for the Russian media.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine reported that Russia had significantly stepped up its information and psychological operations against the citizens of Ukraine.

These operations were aimed at spreading panic among the Ukrainian population, instilling doubts and mistrust in the military and civilian command. The authorities reiterated their call not to believe the fakes that may be spread in the media and social networks, to verify information, and to trust only official channels of information.

The city TV tower in Melitopol, as well as the radio communication towers, continued to be controlled by Russian troops. The content disseminated via radio communication, as well as video content, is completely under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.

Russian troops planned to film another fake for Russian media in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and brought in humanitarian aid. ChNPP personnel categorically refused such “assistance”, so the Russian Armed Forces personnel decided to dress up their troops in NOVARKA uniforms and filmed the story.

In Buryn (Sumy Region), Russian armored personnel carriers were driving around town scattering leaflets with appeals that the Russian aggressor is not an enemy, rules of conduct with Russian troops, and messages not to resist.

Resistance

The peaceful population of the village of Chaplynka in the Kherson region came out in a peaceful protest of more than 3,000 people against the temporary occupation of this populated area by the Russian Armed Forces. Russian troops opened fire on civilians, two people were wounded.

Residents of Berdyansk, Melitopol, Kherson, Skadovsk, Tokmak, and Nova Kakhovka also marched in the thousands against the temporary occupation of their towns by Russian troops.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Russian aggressors continued to shell the civilian population and infrastructure. Russian troops damaged or destroyed 202 schools, 34 hospitals, more than 1,500 residential buildings (including multi-family houses); more than 900 populated areas were left without light, water, or heating.

According to the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, 742 thousand civilians remained without light and 238 thousand without gas because of the ongoing hostilities.

The Ukrainians fleeing from the war go to other European countries: over 1 million to Poland; 180 thousand to Hungary; 128 thousand to Slovakia; 83 thousand to Moldova; 79 thousand to Romania.

Catastrophic situation is observed in Mariupol. This city has been under siege of Russian troops for 8 days already, there is no electricity, heating, water supply and communication.

Russia sent a letter proposing to declare a silence regime from 10 a.m. on March 7 and to open humanitarian corridors from Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities to the Russian Federation or Belarus. This falls under the forced deportation of protected persons. Evacuation for military reasons can only take place within the territory of Ukraine (Article 49 IV of the Geneva Convention). This is also a war crime and a crime against humanity. Although the Russian military is not forcibly removing anyone so far, they are shelling cities with indiscriminate weapons, creating a grave humanitarian situation. Thus, the Russian Federation forces civilians to leave their places of residence and provides only a corridor to its territory or to Belarus.

The aggressors fired at Mykolaiv from systems of volley fire, in particular apartment houses.  On March 6, 2022, in the Camelot residential complex in Severodonetsk, Russian invaders fired from grad at doctors who were on the road to provide medical care to the residents of the district.

The city of Irpin has been deprived of light, water and heat for more than three days, there is no food or water supply, and the occupiers have banned citizens from leaving their homes. Approximately 2,000 residents of Irpin, Bucha, and Hostomel, which were partially captured by Russian troops, were evacuated, but more than 4,000 people still need to be evacuated from the outskirts of the capital.

On March 7, 2022, another massive air bombardment of the city of Kharkiv took place, as a result of which multi-storey residential buildings, administrative buildings, medical institutions, educational institutions and dormitories were completely or partially destroyed.  There were also large-scale fires in 21 buildings in the central part of the city. Rescuers saved and evacuated about 200 people during firefighting and dismantling. Firefighters also found the bodies of 8 people under the rubble. The final information on the dead and injured is currently being clarified. During the 11 days of the war in Ukraine, 211 secondary schools were destroyed or damaged due to shelling by the invaders.

On the night of March 7, the Russian Armed Forces launched an air strike on the residential sector in Sumy, killing at least nine people, including two children.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian aggressors killed two Ukrposhta employees. A man and a woman were delivering pensions and mail to people in a civilian car when the tank hit them.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy said that the capacity of city institutions to provide housing for IDPs is exhausted. According to him, Lviv has become a haven for 200,000 people evacuated from other cities in Ukraine.

The Russians have blocked the work of the Chornobayivka Poultry Farm in the Kherson region, which houses 3 million birds. There is a threat of a mass plague of birds.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION

A hearing on Ukraine’s lawsuit against Russia in genocide charges has begun at the UN International Court of Justice. On March 7, the Ukrainian delegation presented to the UN International Court of Justice the legal position in the case against Russia, in accordance with the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

French President Emmanuel Macron has harshly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s stance on “green corridors” for Ukrainian civilians to withdraw from hostilities. The President of France called the proposal of the Russian Federation to provide protection to the civilian population in order to deport these people to the territory of Russia hypocritical.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the supply of energy from Russia was deliberately removed from the sanctions, as there are no other ways to ensure Europe’s energy security. At the same time, the Chancellor assured that Germany welcomes all international efforts aimed at responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine with far-reaching and targeted sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is ready to impose a ban on Russian oil imports to the United States without the participation of allies in Europe. Biden is considering easing sanctions against Venezuela so that it can start producing more oil and selling it on the international market. The move could be aimed at reducing global dependence on Russian oil.

During a meeting with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that if the West wants to avoid World War III, it is important to give Ukraine all possible support. Gitanas Nauseda stressed that Russia’s unjustified armed aggression against Ukraine undermines peace throughout Europe and must be stopped by the collective efforts of the West.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Jones said that Ukraine will be given another 175 million pounds, most of which will be transferred directly to the Ukrainian government.  Thus, the total amount of British support currently announced is £ 400 million.

The Polish government has passed a bill to establish a fund of 8 billion zlotys ($ 1.75 billion) to help refugees from Ukraine. The legislation aims to allow funding for food and temporary housing for refugees, as well as measures that will allow them to work legally and gain access to state medical and social assistance in Poland.

On March 7, Romania and Estonia agreed to transport humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including transit, on an unauthorized basis. Previously, such a regime has been introduced by Austria, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Poland, Germany and Hungary.

Germany plans to allocate 38.5 million euros for Ukraine’s emergency services, as well as for the accommodation of internally displaced persons. Slovenia, in turn, will send up to 5,000 StarLink satellite Internet reception stations to Ukraine.

Already five Western countries, namely the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have called for Russia to be barred from participating in Interpol over its aggressive war against Ukraine.

Russia was isolated in the international environment by the following companies:

 – Automaker Nissan has joined a number of companies that have decided to leave the Russian market.  In addition, the automaker is setting up a € 2.5 million fund to support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

 – The Singapore Exchange Regulation has stopped trading in Gazprom shares.

 – The Levi Strauss & Co brand group, which includes Levi’s, Dockers and Signature, is leaving the Russian market.

 – American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has suspended purchases of Russian titanium.

 – Finnish dairy companies Valio and coffee maker Paulig are shutting down in Russia.

 – Cosmetic company Sephora closes stores in Russia and stops online sales.

 – The European Education Foundation (ETF) has expressed its support for Ukraine and has pledged not to carry out any activities in the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

 – Coursera and EdX educational platforms terminate cooperation with the Russian Federation.

 – Danish energy company Ørsted will not sign new contracts with Russia and will stop supplying Russian coal to its power plants.

 – One of the world’s largest audit companies Ernst & Young has announced the termination of its activities in Russia.

– Deloitte has abandoned customers from Russia and Belarus.

 – The Danish concern Arla Foods has announced the beginning of preparations for the termination of its activities in Russia.

 – Singapore’s largest telecommunications companies StarHub and SingTel have stopped broadcasting Russian state media RT.

 – European countries have cut off Russian propaganda channels.  Broadcasting was restricted by a number of Russian channels in Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, the United Kingdom, Moldova, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia.

 – The English Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) are going to stop broadcasting their matches in Russia.

 – Upwork job search platform suspends work in Russia and Belarus.

 – Payoneer payment system has  ceased to operate in Russia.

 – Apple has stopped advertising in the App Store for Russia.

 – Procter & Gamble stops all new capital investments in Russia.

 – YouTube blocked the channel of Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov “Solovyov LIVE».

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.