Victory Chronicles-DAY 1120

British special forces have reportedly been placed on standby for deployment to Ukraine as part of a UK-led peacekeeping mission, British media reported on March 18, citing two military sources familiar with the directive.

The Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), the UK’s military planning center, received orders last week to begin preparations for personnel and resource deployment, according to the sources. Special forces units have been instructed to prepare for mobilization, ensuring their equipment is operational ahead of potential deployment.

The directive also applies to special forces reservists, who have been placed on high readiness status.

The move comes as Britain prepares to host military leaders from nations willing to support a ceasefire agreement with Russia. On March 15, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that peacekeeping deployment plans had entered an “operational phase.”

Danish Prime Minister: Europe must be able to defend itself within 3-5 years. Europe must become fully self-sufficient in defense within the next 3-5 years to deter a “highly aggressive” Russia, which could attack an EU country, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in an interview with Politico on March 19.

“I fully support Europe’s rearmament and want us to set an ambitious goal: within 3-5 years, we must be fully capable of defending ourselves,” the NATO country’s prime ministersaid.

She emphasized that rearmament is the EU’s top priority, warning that Russia could launch an attack in the near future if countries fail to take deterrence measures.

Russian drone attack injures two civilians, damages homes and vehicles in Kyiv region. A Russian drone attack on March 19 caused widespread damage in the Kyiv region, injuring two civilians and damaging 36 homes and 19 passenger vehicles, Ukrainian officials said.

Debris from the strike hit the Bucha district, damaging 20 townhouses, 15 single-family homeshouses, and 19 cars, according to local police. A 54-year-old man was hospitalized with multiple injuries, while a 43-year-old woman suffered a stress reaction and was treated at the scene.

Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk later confirmed that a 54-year-old French citizen was among the injured. He sustained surface wounds to his legs, abdomen, and elbows and was hospitalized.

Ukrainian intelligence strikes Russian radar systems, Pantsir-S1, tugboat, and Mi-8 helicopter in Crimea. Ukrainian intelligence operatives have conducted a series of maritime strikes in occupied Crimea, targeting Russian air defense systems, a naval tugboat, and a Mi-8 helicopter, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) reported on March 19.

Over several days, Russian forces in Crimea sustained multiple hits, with Ukrainian operatives successfully destroying or damaging key radar systems. HUR described the operation as a severe blow to Russia’s air defense and military infrastructure in Crimea.

Key Takeaways:

• Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin did not accept the US-Ukrainian proposal for a temporary ceasefire along the frontline and reiterated his demands for a resolution to the war that amount to Ukrainian capitulation.
• Trump and Putin agreed on a temporary moratorium on long-range strikes against energy infrastructure, but the exact contours of the moratorium remain unclear at this time.
• Putin continues to hold the temporary ceasefire hostage, likely to extract further concessions from US President Donald Trump and delay or spoil negotiations for an enduring peace in Ukraine.
• Russian forces recently advanced in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast amid intensified Russian offensive operations in the area, likely as part of efforts to leverage Russia’s deliberate stalling of the temporary ceasefire proposal to make battlefield gains.
• Russian forces recently advanced in the Lyman, Chasiv Yar, and Toretsk directions. Ukrainian and Russian forces both recently advanced in the Kurakhove direction. 
• The Russian military is reportedly increasing the number of its information and psychological operations units.

Ukrainian soldier Serhii Yanush killed in action near Donetsk regional town of Terny. Pvt. Serhii Yanush was killed on Aug. 18, 2024, near the village of Terny, Donetsk region, after triggering an enemy mine while escorting fellow soldiers to a combat position. He was 49 years old.

Yanush lived in Novoraisk, in the southern Kherson region, and studied at the Kherson Agricultural College. A passionate agronomist, he was known for his dedication to his work. In his free time, he played guitar and sang songs about Ukraine, even writing poetry while on the front lines.

Drafted into the Ukrainian Armed Forces in February 2024, he served as a gunner in a mechanized squad with the Inhulets 60th Mechanized Brigade. 

“Serhii loved his land so much that he treated every plant with care. Even when resting, he worried about the weather, the harvest, and the growth of each seed. He was a talented, philosophical soul, a true patriot, and a loving father, husband, son, and friend,” wrote his niece, Anna.

Yanush was buried in Novoraisk. He is survived by his wife, two sons, relatives, friends, and fellow soldiers.

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

• US suspends some efforts to counter Russian sabotage as Trump moves closer to Putin
• Zelenskyy: Ukraine to prepare list of facilities which Russia must not attack
• Reuters: Evidence of Russia abducting Ukrainian children possibly removed due to Trump terminating program
• Northern Europe pushes EU to speed up Ukraine membership
• Russia attacks Ukraine’s energy sector after Putin’s order to stop targeting it
• Trump: ‘I didn’t talk about aid to Ukraine with Putin’