Fighting near Sudzha and new details on Ivano-Frankivsk blasts: March 12 highlights
Fighting continues in the suburbs of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) determined that Russian agents were behind explosions in Ivano-Frankivsk that killed teenagers working for them. Russia outlined its stance on a monthlong ceasefire Ukraine agreed to. Here’s a roundup of the top news for March 12.
Fighting continues in Kursk Oblast
Active combat continues in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, particularly in the suburbs of Sudzha and surrounding areas. Ukraine’s Armed Forces commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the enemy aims to extend fighting into Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are suffering heavy losses, with nearly 55,000 soldiers lost, including over 22,200 killed, according to Ukrainian reports.
Russians are involved in the explosions in Ivano-Frankivsk
Law enforcement established that Russian special services orchestrated explosions in Ivano-Frankivsk on the evening of March 11. The SBU said Russians detonated a makeshift explosive device being carried by their own agents near the railway station.
One recruited teenager lost both limbs and is in critical condition.
Trump expects Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, but Russia doesn't want to "get ahead of itself"
US President Donald Trump said the war between Russia and Ukraine has reached a “semi-ceasefire” stage, adding that Moscow’s agreement is now key. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that with Russia’s consent, a ceasefire could be achieved in days.
However, the Kremlin said it does not want to “get ahead of itself” regarding the ceasefire Ukraine accepted. Bloomberg reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin may demand a halt to weapons supplies to Ukraine as a condition for a temporary truce.
Commander of OC "North" Krasylnikov dismissed
Maj. Gen. Dmytro Krasylnikov, commander of Ukraine’s Operational Command “North”, was relieved of duty. He said the dismissal order was signed on March 7, adding that he sees no substantial reason for the decision.
Rubio said that Saudi Arabia and Ukraine discussed territorial concessions
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said potential territorial concessions were among topics discussed with Ukraine during talks in Saudi Arabia as part of a future peace deal.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskYy emphasized after the talks that Ukraine will not recognize any occupied territories as Russian, calling it “the most critical red line.”
Political prisoner from Crimea dies in Russian pre-trial detention center
Rustem Viratti, a political prisoner accused by Russian occupiers of participating in the Noman Çelebicihan Crimean Tatar volunteer battalion, died in a Russian detention center.
Russian security forces first detained Viratti in March 2023 in Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast, where he was tortured and beaten before being released. He was later illegally detained again and held for two years.
Other news
- U.S. aid deliveries to Ukraine resumed from a logistics hub in Jasionka, Poland.
- Ukraine’s parliament passed bill No. 12442 in its first reading, introducing criminal liability for heads of territorial recruitment centers and military medical commissions who violate defense, mobilization preparation, or mobilization laws.
- Journalists located former Kyiv City Council member Denys Komarnitskyi abroad; he is suspected of leading a criminal organization to seize city land.
- Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced to nine years in prison for large-scale embezzlement of public funds.
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