Missile strike on Odesa and investigation into Tatarov's “scientific web”: highlights for March 6

Russian attack on Odesa

On the morning of March 6, Russian troops attacked Odesa, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had arrived.

Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, told hromadske that the attack killed five people and wounded others. The occupiers hit the port infrastructure of Odesa.

At the same time, the spokeswoman for the Southern Defense Forces, Nataliia Humeniuk, said that the Russian strike on Odesa on March 6 was not related to Zelenskyy's visit.

Mitsotakis' visit

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Odesa on March 6. Together with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Greek prime minister paid tribute to the victims of the Russian Shahed strike on a nine-story building on March 2.

“Today, when I traveled to Odesa, I was impressed because, on the one hand, it is a terrible picture of the destruction caused by Russian attacks, and on the other hand, it is the resilience and courage of the Ukrainian people,” Mitsotakis said during a briefing.

He added that the Odesa region “is the region where Greece primarily seeks to focus its recovery programs”.

In the port of Odesa, the leaders familiarized themselves with the functioning of the “grain corridor” in the Black Sea. Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov informed that in seven months, almost 28 million tons of grain and other cargo had been exported to at least 38 countries.

Zelenskiy said that Greece and Ukraine have begun preparing a bilateral agreement on security guarantees.

Investigation: Oleh Tatarov's “Scientific Web”

hromadske journalists have uncovered a network of officials and top law enforcement officers who defended their dissertations under the scientific supervision of Oleh Tatarov, deputy head of the Presidential Office.

Among them are three judges of the Pecherskyi District Court who considered high-profile cases, such as the case of the former abbot of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Pavlo Lebed, and the house arrest of activist Roman Ratushnyi.

In addition, the top management of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police, the head of the Kyiv region police, a cyber police inspector, and more than ten NPU officials in total were found to be connected to Tatarov's scientific activities.

The deputy head of the Office of the President was also involved in the defense of scientific dissertations of a judge, a prosecutor, and a lawyer who were involved in the case of activist Serhiy Sternenko.

Allies raise funds for ammunition

Ukraine's allies have already raised almost all the money needed to finance a Czech-led initiative to buy 800,000 artillery shells, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

According to the sources, the commitments mean that the shells could be delivered to Ukraine within a few weeks. But the exact timing will depend on contracts and delivery schedules.

Ukrainian Armed Forces' goals are to stabilize the front line and counterattack

Commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Pavliuk said that in 2024 the Ukrainian military aims to create a strike group and conduct counter-strike operations. But first, the military needs to stabilize the front line.

Other important news of the day

• Defense Intelligence: Organizer of “presidential elections” in Zaporizhzhia region was eliminated in occupied Berdiansk.
• The “State Logistics Operator” announced an attempt to disrupt auctions for food for the Armed Forces.
• Destruction of the ship “Sergei Kotov”: the number of Russians injured is four times higher than it was thought.
• Ukraine may agree to new trade restrictions to “defuse the dispute” with Poland. But there is a condition.
• Ministry of Health: Some of Kyiv's military and medical commissions were open only until noon and delayed medical examinations. They will be checked.