Russian missile attack, French military aid, Moscow accuses Ukraine of terrorism: highlights for March 31

Russian attacks

Overnight, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with missiles and Shahed suicide drones. Air defense forces managed to destroy 9 out of 14 missiles and 9 out of 115 Shahed drones.

In Odesa Oblast, all the drones were shot down, but the falling debris caused a fire at one of the region's power facilities, which resulted in a power outage in several settlements. The fire was extinguished and no one was injured.

In Kherson Oblast, in addition to drones, the Russian military simultaneously used ballistic missiles and a guided missile. They hit a mothballed agricultural enterprise. No one was injured, the Southern Defense Forces said.

In Lviv Oblast, the Russian forces hit an administrative building. Two people died as a result.

Military assistance from France

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said that his country is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine, which will include hundreds of "old but serviceable" armored vehicles and Aster missiles. According to the French minister, in order to hold such a large front line, the Ukrainian army needs, for example, French VAB armored personnel carriers, which are "key to troop mobility."

Paris will also "unblock" a new batch of Aster 30 missiles for the SAMP/T (or MAMBA) air defense system, which is an alternative to the US Patriot.

The number of people killed and tortured in Bucha is unclear

The head of the criminal police, Andriy Nebytov, said that law enforcement officers found 422 bodies of murdered civilians after the liberation of Bucha in Kyiv Oblast from Russian troops, and a total of 1,190 bodies were found in the Bucha district. He noted that 514 residents of Kyiv Oblast are currently missing, and 180 bodies remain unidentified.

The National Police has opened 23,000 criminal proceedings on war crimes committed by Russia in Kyiv Oblast. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale war, on February 24, 2022, law enforcement officers have opened 116,000 such proceedings.

IL-76 and allegedly killed Ukrainian prisoners

The head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Russia has not provided any new information about Ukrainian prisoners of war who allegedly died after the downing of a Russian Il-76 aircraft.

"When Russia says that everything is obvious, Ukraine shot it down, and then does not allow anyone to visit and does not show any wreckage or bodies that would prove to the world that Ukraine is guilty, it is not true," Budanov said.

He stressed that Ukraine has appealed to the international community to conduct an objective investigation at the crash site, as Kyiv is unable to do so. Budanov also reiterated that Ukraine is waiting for the bodies.

The Pope's offer to exchange prisoners

In his Easter message, Pope Francis expressed his wish for an exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine on the principle of "all for all." He noted that his thoughts "go out to the victims of the many ongoing conflicts in the world, from the wars in Israel and Palestine to Ukraine."

He also called for humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, the release of the hostages taken on October 7, and an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

Russian Foreign Ministry accuses Ukraine of shooting in Moscow

The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that "traces of all crimes lead to Ukraine" in the context of the "investigation" into the shooting at the Crocus City Hall music center near Moscow and demanded that "all those involved be extradited." They claim that the shooting at the music center is not the first terrorist attack against Russia in recent times.

Therefore, Russian diplomats allegedly handed over to the Ukrainian authorities the requirements under the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism "for the immediate arrest and extradition of all persons involved in these terrorist attacks." In particular, the Russian Foreign Ministry is demanding the arrest of SBU Head Vasyl Malyuk for allegedly striking the Crimean Bridge in October 2022.

The SBU called such statements "null and void" and noted that the only statement by Russia that is worthy of attention may be an announcement to the whole world of its defeat in the war and the withdrawal of occupation troops from Ukraine.

Other important news

• Killing of pilot who hijacked Russian helicopter for Ukraine shows signs of Kremlin involvement, NYT writes.
• Russians have begun to install barges at the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk, where the ships of its Black Sea Fleet are located. This is how they want to protect themselves from Ukrainian attacks.
• Most of the money is spent on supplies and payments: the Defense Ministry explained how it allocates its budget.
• The European Parliament intends to investigate Viktor Medvedchuk's pro-Russian network. The SBU helped expose it.
• A Russian shell killed a 19-year-old boy in Kharkiv Oblast.