Victory Chronicles-DAY 1113

Poland’s defense and foreign ministers  have confirmed on March 11 that the U.S. has resumed arms shipments to Ukraine through a logistics hub in the eastern Polish town of Rzeszów, after a temporary pause.

Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski and Foreign Affairs Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced on social media that American materiel were once again being transported from the Jasionka hub to Ukraine.

Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, also confirmed on Facebook that U.S. security assistance had resumed.

Additionally, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said various types of military and strategic information sharing with Ukraine was reinstated again after a temporary suspension.

The resumption followed high-level talks between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Saudi Arabia on March 11 to start the beginning phases of lasting peace in the Russo-Ukrainian war. 

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the outcome of the discussions in Jeddah. And Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the initial outcome “a remarkable breaktrhough.”

Russian attacks kill 14 civlians, injure another 33 across Ukraine. At least 14 civilians were killed and 33 were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, regional officials reported on March 11. 

Among the dead and injured were children and Syrian crew members of a merchant vessel in the Black Sea port city of Odesa.The Russian military launched three Iskander-M ballistic missiles at Odesa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, along with 133 Iranian-provided Shahedattack drones and decoy drones to confuse air defesenes overnight, Kyiv reported. 

Ninety-eight drones were shot down across 15 regions, while 20 decoy drones disappeared, presumably from electronic warfare,  from radar without causing damage. In the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, one civilian  was killed and 10 were injured, Gov. Serhii Lysaksaid. 

A missile strike on Kryvyi Rih killed a 47-year-old woman and injured nine others, including three who are in serious condition. Residential buildings, businesses, vehicles, and a primary school were damaged.

In Dnipro, the region’s capital, a 42-year-old man was injured, while missile strikes damaged homes, a kindergarten, and a primary school, sparking fires. In Ukraine’s easternmost Donetsk region, seven civilians were killed and 13 were injured, Vadym Filashkin, governor of the region, said. Casualties were reported in Siversk, Rivne, Rodynske, the war hotspot of Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka near occupied Bakhut, and Molocharka.

In the southern Kherson region, two civilians  were killed and seven were injured, including two children, according to the region’s Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin. Damage was reported to high-rise buildings, single-family homes, and critical infrastructure. In Odesa, a Russian ballistic missile hit a commercial port, damaging infrastructure, Oleh Kiper, governor of Odesa region, said. 

The Barbados-flagged merchant vessel MJ Pina, which was loading 30,000 tons of wheat designated for Algeria, was also damaged, killing at least four crew members, and injuring another. The Russian military has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure, intensifying attacks on key ports, energy facilities, and transportation hubs.

Russia repeatedly strikes Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih as first responders act. Russian forces launched a second strike on Kryvyi Rih in the southern region of Dnipropetrovsk while emergency responders were working to contain the aftermath of an initial attack, Ukrainian authorities said on March 11. The aerial attack is known as a “double tap,” indicating Russia has accurate information on its intended target to inflict more damage.

According to the State Emergency Service of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the strikes damaged an infrastructure facility, residential buildings, administrative offices, a convenience store , garages, and 12 civilian vehicles.

“Russian forces launched a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, damaging an infrastructure site. While rescuers were responding, the enemy struck again, damaging two emergency vehicles,” the SES said in a statement on social media.

No emergency workers were injured in the attack. Images from the scene show fires breaking out in three garages and four passenger vehicles, covering a total area of 100 square meters (1,076 square feet).

The city has been repeatedly targeted in Russian strikes as Moscow continues its assault on Ukrainian infrastructure, especially energy..

Six Russian intelligence drones shot down in easternmost Donetsk region. Ukraine’s military from the Non-Stop Group of the 2nd Unit of the Omega Special Operations Center shot down six Russian surveillance drones in Donetsk Oblast, the unit reported on March 12.

The region has been partially occupied by Russia since 2014 during Moscow’s initial invasion of Ukraine when the Crimean Peninsula was illegally annexed and then parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions were taken over.

The elite unit specializes in neutralizing various types of enemy drones used for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. “We will not give the enemy a single meter of territory or a single megabyte of information,” the unit said in a statement.

Key Takeaways:

• The United States and Ukraine agreed on March 11 to an immediate 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine contingent on Russia’s agreement, and the US reportedly restarted intelligence sharing and military aid.
• Ukraine’s allies and partners from Europe, Asia, and Oceania continue efforts to strengthen the Ukrainian military and back Ukraine with security guarantees – the most effective deterrent against future Russian aggression against Ukraine following a potential future peace agreement.
• Russian forces continue to make confirmed advances in Kursk Oblast and have likely begun attacking Sudzha.
• Ukrainian forces conducted a large-scale series of drone strikes against Russia on the night of March 10 to 11, largely targeting Moscow Oblast.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk and Robotyne and in Kursk Oblast.
• The Kremlin continues to expand social benefits for Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine, including soldiers who have fought for the militias of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics (DNR and LNR) since 2014.

Snr. Sgt. Andrii Myrnyi, known by the call sign “Dozor” (Observe) was killed on Sept. 2, 2024, near the population center of New York in Donetsk Oblast. 

He sustained fatal injuries during an artillery strike while fighting Russian forces. He was 31 years old. Born in the village of Huriivka in Kirovohrad Oblast, Myrnyi later lived in Kryvyi Rih. In 2012, he graduated from Kryvyi Rih Transport and Metallurgical Vocational College as a locomotive engineer. He served in the special police regiment and participated in Ukraine’s Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). His favorite pastime was fishing.

During the full-scale invasion, Myrnyi fought with the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine as a sniper in a reconnaissance platoon.

Throughout his service, he received several awards, including “For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation,” “Military Intelligence: For a Free Ukraine,” and “For Exemplary Service.” He was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, 3rd Class.

“My husband was one of the first to defend his family and country in 2014. He was always in the fiercest battles, a true patriot and a soldier in every sense of the word. He protected everyone and even saved lives by sharing his knowledge,” said his wife, Oleksandra Myrna. Myrnyi was laid to rest in the Honorary Burial Section of Kryvyi Rih’s central cemetery. He is survived by his wife and two children.

*Andrii’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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• Russians hit port in Odesa with ballistic missiles, killing 4 foreigners
• Russia’s war casualty toll in Ukraine rises by 1,430 in past day
• Reuters:  Russia unlikely to agree to 30-day ceasefire