Victory Chronicles-DAY 1115

Ukraine’s General Staff has denied reports that Ukrainian troops were surrounded in Russia’s Kursk region, calling the claims false and politically motivated.

In a statement on March 14,, the military said the claims, made by Kremlin ruler t Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, aim to pressure Kyiv and its allies.

General Staff spokesperson Dmytro Lykhovyi told Ukrainska Pravda that Russia has previously spread similar false claims, including an unverified October 2024 report of 2,000 Ukrainian troops being surrounded.

“This is yet another fabricated claim,” Lykhovyi said.

The General Staff said the frontline situation remains stable, with Ukrainian forces having regrouped to stronger defensive positions. Since this morning, there have been 13 combat clashes in the area, but no risk of encirclement exists, the statement added.

Brussels weighs 40 billion euros military fund for Ukraine, bypassing EU member Hungary. The European Union is considering a 20 billion euro to 40 billion euro military aid fund for Ukraine, structured to allow voluntary participation and bypass a Hungarian veto, Euractiv , a website that focuses on European affairs..

A draft proposal encourages EU countries to commit at least 20 billion euros in 2025, with the amount potentially increasing to 40 billion euros based on Ukraine’s needs  the March 14 dispatch stated.

Plan Highlights:

• 5 billion euros for 2 million artillery shells in 2025.
• Contributions proportional to each country’s economy, in cash or military supplies.
• The EU to allocate 1.9 billion euros from frozen Russian assets.
• Priority: artillery, air defense, missiles, drones, and fighter jets.

EU leaders will discuss the fund at a summit next week, with an April 30 deadline for countries to join.

Separately, several EU nations pledged 15 billion euros in additional aid following a March 6 European Council meeting, according to European Council President António Costa.

Russian drones strike hospital in Kharkiv region, target rescuers in double-tap attack. A Russian aerial attack on a civilian hospital in the settlement of Zolochiv in Kharkiv region with drones around midnight, followed by a second strike targeting first responders, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) reported on March 14.

The attack injured a 33-year-old paramedic, who suffered an acute stress reaction, officials said. The explosion ignited a fire, engulfing 1,500 square meters (16,145 square feet) of the hospital’s roof.

While firefighters were battling the blaze, Russian forces launched a second strike, but emergency crews managed to reach shelter in time. The fire was fully extinguished after six hours.

Ukrainian drones strike Russian gas compressor stations, S-300/S-400 missile depot Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) drones struck two gas compressor stations and a field depot storing missiles for S-300 and S-400 air defense systems inside Russia, Ukrainian officials said on March 13.

According to the SBU, the long-range drones hit the Davydovskaya gas compressor station in Tambov region and the Novopetrovskaya station in Saratov region. Footage from the strikes shows direct drone hits on industrial equipment followed by large explosions.

SBU drones also targeted a missile storage site near the village of Radkovka in Russia’s Belgorod region, reportedly triggering a chain detonation of ammunition. There has been no immediate comment from Russian authorities.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the ceasefire proposal that the United States and Ukraine recently agreed upon in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and offered an alternative proposal that undermines US President Donald Trump’s stated goal of securing a lasting peace in Ukraine.
• Putin is offering an alternative ceasefire agreement that is contrary to the intentions and goals of the US-Ukrainian ceasefire proposal.
• Putin’s envisioned ceasefire agreement would grant Russia greatly disproportionate advantages and set conditions for the Kremlin to renew hostilities on terms extremely favorable to Russia.
• Putin is holding the ceasefire proposal hostage and is attempting to extract preemptive concessions ahead of formal negotiations to end the war.
• Russian forces continue to clear Ukrainian forces from Sudzha and its environs as Russian troops advance closer to the border in Kursk Oblast slowed on March 13 compared to recent days.
• Russian milbloggers theorized on March 13 that Russian forces may launch an organized offensive operation into northern Sumy Oblast in the coming weeks and months and may also attack into Chernihiv Oblast — in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s March 12 statements.
• Kremlin officials continue to use narratives similar to those that the Kremlin has used to justify its invasions of Ukraine to set informational conditions to justify future aggression against NATO member states.
• Russian forces continue to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in violation of international law.
• Russia will likely expand its permanent military basing in Belarus to enhance Russia’s force posture against NATO’s eastern flank.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Lyman, Siversk, and Toretsk.
• Russia continues its crypto-mobilization efforts against the backdrop of US efforts to start the negotiation process to end the war.

Ukrainian soldier Volodymyr Kokhanets killed while evacuating wounded comrade. Sgt. Volodymyr Kokhanets, known by the call sign of “Kubi’’k((cube),” was killed on July 18, 2024, while evacuating a wounded comrade near Pobieda, Pokrovsk district, Donetsk region. 

He was 36 years old. Kokhanets was born in Sapanivchyk, Rivne region, and studied at the Sapanivchyk Gymnasium before receiving vocational training at the Kremenets Professional Lyceum. Passionate about technology and cars, he worked at a tire repair shop in Kremenets.

In 2014, Kokhanets was drafted into military service, serving in Ukraine’s anti-terrorist operation (ATO) during Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine before returning to civilian life after a year. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in early 2022, he rejoined the military on March 20, 2023, and served as a driver-medic in the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“My dad was a very good man. Everyone loved and respected him. His comrades were proud of him because he saved many lives, risking his own,” said his daughter. Kokhanets was buried in Mynkivtsi, Rivne region. He is survived by his daughter, Mariana, and son, Artem.

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

• Putin still intends Ukraine domination, U.S. intelligence reports say
• Americans worry Trump too closely aligned with Russia, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
• Russia leans on cryptocurrencies for oil trade
• EU ambassadors agree to extend sanctions against Russia after deal with Hungary
• G7 threatens Russia with sanctions if it refuses ceasefire
• China state firms curb Russian oil imports on sanctions risks