Fight for Bakhmut continues, Russian plane collides with US drone, regional governors dismissed: highlights of the day

Russian plane collides with drone

The United States said that on March 14, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with an American MQ-9 drone over the Black Sea. The UAV fell into international waters.

The European Command of the US Armed Forces reported that two Russian Su-27s had made a "dangerous and unprofessional interception" of a US intelligence drone. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the United States was summoning the Russian ambassador over the drone incident.

Russia denies that it touched the American drone — it was allegedly moving near Crimea "in the direction of the state border" of the Russian Federation, and then made a sharp maneuver, lost control and fell into the water.

Three more heads of regional administrations dismissed

The Cabinet of Ministers has supported draft presidential decrees dismissing three heads of regional state administrations:

• Serhiy Hayday as head of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration;
• Maksym Marchenko as head of the Odesa Oblast State Administration;
• Serhiy Hamaliy as head of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast State Administration.

According to media reports, Hayday may be sent as ambassador to Kazakhstan. He did not confirm this himself.

Ukraine continues to fight for Bakhmut

On March 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a regular meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff. Its members, the top military and political leadership of Ukraine, jointly called for the continued control and defense of the town of Bakhmut, where active hostilities are ongoing.

Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi emphasized that the defense operation on the Bakhmut axis is of "crucial strategic importance" for deterring the enemy.

"It is key to the stability of the defense of the entire front. I am grateful to each and every defender who is giving a worthy rebuff to the occupiers and bringing Ukraine's victory closer!" Zaluzhnyi said.

Ukraine and Russia resolving ammunition issues

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the government's priority action plan for 2023, which includes new ammunition production, new missile programs, supplying the army with drones (including those produced by Ukrainian companies), cooperation with partners to jointly produce new weapons, involving the private sector in the development of the defense industry, etc.

The state-owned Ukroboronprom reported that it had started producing 125-mm shells for tank guns together with a NATO member state. Earlier, together with its partners, it began producing 120-mm mines.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected a military enterprise in Moscow Oblast, where he said that ammunition production should be doubled. British intelligence says that the shortage has gotten so bad that the occupiers have a severe restriction on shells in many parts of the frontline.

Cultural figures receive new rules for traveling abroad

The Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said that now, in order to travel abroad, cultural figures must confirm the presence of military registration in their organization, contracts, and submit a report upon their return.

The new rules were announced following a statement by stand-up comedian Andriy Shchehel, who said that he had left Ukraine on a temporary permit from the Ministry of Culture but decided to stay abroad.

Other news

• The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, complained to the Pope and the UN about the eviction of the UOC-MP from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery.
• The Ukrainian Armed Forces supported the idea of creating a women's combat unit.
• Poland may hand over its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine within 4-6 weeks, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
• The Verkhovna Rada registered a bill on civil partnerships for same-sex and different-sex couples.
• Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced the creation of a "ship coalition" in support of Ukraine, which already includes three countries.
• The unrecognized "Transnistria" said that the targets of the "terrorist attack", which the Security Service of Ukraine is accused of, were the OSCE delegation and the "president".
• In the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, pro-Russian activists from the Alt-Info organization and the Conservative Movement party tore down and burned the EU flag near the parliament building.
• Kyiv's Pechersk District Court sentenced the organizer of the attempted assassinations of Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Ukraine's intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov to 12 years in prison.