Moscow Patriarchate does not want to leave Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, OCU appoints its own abbot: highlights of the day

UOC-MP and Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

A monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Moscow Patriarchate operating in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra filed a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve to invalidate the unilateral withdrawal from the contract. However, the judge recused himself. Therefore, the case will be transferred to an authorized court employee for a second automatic review of the case.

At the same time, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius, appointed Archimandrite Abraham (Lotysh), who recently defected from the UOC-MP, to act as the vicar of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

After that, the UOC announced that it was imposing a "ban on priesthood" on Abraham. This decision was made "for falling into schism" and "gross violation of the clergyman's oath."

Grossi's trip to ZNPP

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi arrived at the occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant this morning.

His goal is to assess the nuclear safety situation at the facility and emphasize the urgent need to protect it during the war. This is also Grossi's first visit to ZNPP after the IAEA experts started working at the plant.

Assistance from Germany

The German government has agreed to allocate an additional 12 billion euros for military support to Ukraine. Of these funds, 3.2 billion euros are to be disbursed in 2023. And for the remaining amount, 8.8 billion euros, Berlin will open credit lines for the period from 2024 to 2032. This means that Ukraine will have the right to receive and use the loan within the allotted time frame.

"With this money, Ukraine can directly purchase weapons with the support of the German government. It is important to support Ukraine for as long as it takes," representatives of the German coalition government told the parliamentary budget committee.

Victims of war in Kharkiv Oblast

Russian shelling and the explosion of civilians on mines occurred again in Kharkiv Oblast. In the village of Podoly, Kupyansk district, three civilian women aged 70, 69 and 68 came under fire from the occupiers. They were hospitalized with multiple shrapnel wounds. One woman's condition is serious, the others are in moderate condition.

A car tripped an anti-tank mine on a dirt road near the village of Barvinkove in Izyum district. Two people were killed immediately and two others were injured. A 16-year-old boy was among the dead.

Situation at frontline

According to the General Staff, the Russians are focusing on conducting an offensive at the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka axes. Bilohorivka, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka remain at the epicenter of the fighting.

In particular, on the Bakhmut axis, the enemy continues to storm Bakhmut, having partial success, the General Staff says. However, Ukrainian defenders are holding the city and repelling numerous attacks.

At the same time, British intelligence reports that the Defense Forces seem to have driven the Wagner PMC forces off the road near one of the critical supply lines to Bakhmut.

Future counteroffensive

Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that the Ukrainian command is already planning a counteroffensive on several fronts. The final decision on actions at the front will be made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces.

The timing of the operation depends on the most appropriate moment and weather conditions. Reznikov claims that Ukraine will use the Leopard tanks it has received during the counteroffensive.

"In spring, our land is very wet. Only tracked vehicles can be used. I think we will be able to see them in April-May," the minister said.

Other news

• Two suspected participants of parties in Kyiv, where girls were abused, were released on bail of 402,000 hryvnias ($10,890) each;
• Russians launched an air strike on Avdiyivka, Donetsk Oblast, hitting a kindergarten with a missile. There were no victims;
• an explosion occurred in the temporarily occupied Crimea in the village of Hvardiyske. The occupying "head" of the peninsula, Sergey Aksyonov, said that a drone was shot down;
• voting for people who will be members of the Ukrainian national jury at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 started in the Diia app;
• due to the bad weather in Ukraine, there were significant power outages in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, and Mykolaiv oblasts.