Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,128

As of Friday, March 28, 2018, here is the top-rated event list.

Fighting

42 of the 85 Russian drones launched overnight at Ukraine, including a ballistic missile attack by Russia, were shot down by Kyiv’s air force, according to the country’s air force. In addition to the injuries, more than 20 people were killed in the attacks, and storage facilities and residential structures were also damaged.
Russian Federation’s FSB security service claimed that Ukrainian spy organizations were attempting to recruit Russian nationals to work for RAND Corp, a think tank in the United States.
In response to Qatar’s efforts to reunite children who had been separated from their families as a result of the ongoing conflict, Russia has given five children to Ukraine.
After visiting the region of Sumy, Ukraine’s top general Oleksandr Syrskii claimed that the Ukrainian military was conducting defense and assault operations to stop the army from entering the country. However, the Ukrainian military said that the Russian forces were intensifying their attacks there.
Despite a mutually agreed moratorium between Ukraine and Russia on such strikes, the Russian-controlled Crimea and Bryansk, Kursk, and other Russian-annexed regions, the country’s Ministry of Defense claimed that Ukraine had attacked energy facilities with drones and artillery.
The allegations were disproven by the Ukrainian army, and a spokesperson for the Kyiv-based Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed neither Ukraine nor Russia have attacked one another’s energy facilities since March 25.

According to The Associated Press news agency, a local official was killed by Russian shelling in Kherson, in southern Ukraine, and partially slowed the power supply.

During a trip to China, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot argued that Beijing and Paris should work together to promote peace in Ukraine and that China could influence Russia’s willingness to cooperate.
Vladimir Putin’s statements regarding a ceasefire with Ukraine were described as “hollow,” according to Keith Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Putin suggested that Ukraine be placed under the United Nations’ and other nations’ temporary “administration” until elections are held as a result of the peace process.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Kremlin Foreign Ministry, claimed that France and the UK were planning an “military intervention in Ukraine” using a disguised peacekeeping mission. She warned that Russian and NATO could engage in military hostility as a result of these attempts.
In Paris, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and some 30 leaders from the “coalition of the willing” nations met to discuss strengthening Kyiv’s position and how the coalition might play a role if a peace deal is reached with Russia.

Although some nations were more interested in sending European soldiers to Ukraine than others, the summit raised the topic of deploying them. Additionally, the nations agreed that Russia should not be subject to sanctions anymore; rather, that it should be strengthened.
Regarding the potential lifting of Russian sanctions, President Zelenskyy issued a warning to the meeting about “dangerous signals” from Saudi Arabia.
Even if the idea was rejected by all of Europe, French President Macron claimed that London and Paris were working on sending “assurance troops” to Ukraine in response to a potential future peace deal.
Petr Fiala, the Czech prime minister, stated at the ceremony that his nation’s plan to provide ammunition to Ukraine in 2025 would match that of the previous year. According to the Czech Defense Ministry, the country received 1.5 million rounds of artillery last year, including 500 000 155-millimeter shells.

The South Korean military reported that to aid Moscow in its battle against Kyiv, North Korea has sent about 3, 000 more soldiers to Russia this year.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov claimed that it would be premature to arrive at “far-reaching conclusions” regarding Russia-US relations at this time because Moscow and Washington are still in the early stages of a long and challenging process of regaining a relationship.
Ryabkov also claimed that it is too soon for Russia to resume discussions with the US regarding strategic nuclear stability.
Zelenskyy claimed that the US “constantly” altered the terms of the proposed minerals deal with his country. He continued, saying he did not want Kyiv to believe that the US was opposed to the deal.

Source: Aljazeera