Live blog: Moldova, Ukraine dismiss Transnistria's drone strike claims

Sunday, March 17, 2024

1703 GMT — Moldova dismissed a claim by pro-Russian separatist authorities that an explosion in the breakaway region of Transnistria was likely caused by a drone launched from Ukraine as an "attempt to provoke fear and panic".

Kiev, in turn, blamed Russia for carrying out "a provocation in Transnistria with a kamikaze drone attack on a military base."

"Authorities in Chisinau, in contact with the Ukrainian side, do not confirm any attack on the Transnistrian region," Moldova's reintegration bureau said in a statement.

Moscow "carried out a provocation in Transnistria with a kamikaze drone attack on a military base," a Ukrainian government office responsible for disinformation said, adding that: "Russians are trying to carry out provocations and manipulate the information space by spreading fakes."

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1615 GMT — Russian missile attack on Mykolaiv city injures 6 — Ukraine

At least six people were wounded in a Russian missile attack on the Black Sea port city of Mykolaiv, Ukrainian officials said, after an overnight strike on the port of Odessa.

"As a result of the attack, houses, vehicles and infrastructure were damaged," Ukraine's ministry of internal affairs said.

Separately, the Ukrainian military said Russian air attacks had damaged agricultural enterprises and destroyed several industrial buildings in Odessa.

1438 GMT — Russia claims control of village in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia

Russia said that it took control of a village in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

In a statement on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry said that troops captured the village of Myrne, located about 81 kilometers (50 miles) from the city of Zaporizhzhia.

It further said that its forces also repelled an attack by the Ukrainian military near the village of Vodiane in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the claims.

1407 GMT — Ukrainian far-ranging drones hits Russia on final day of voting

Ukraine launched a massive new wave of drone attacks on Russia as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a fifth drone, close to the capital’s Domodedovo airport, was downed on Sunday morning.

According to the Defense Ministry, two drones were shot down over the Kaluga region, just south of the Russian capital, and four in the Yaroslavl region, northeast of Moscow.

More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov regions that border Ukraine and the southern Krasnodar region, the Defense Ministry said.

1346 GMT — One killed in strike on city bordering Ukraine — Russia

A strike on the Russian region of Belgorod that borders Ukraine killed one person and injured 11, the regional governor said.

One man "died of his wounds on the spot before an ambulance crew arrived. Eleven people were injured to varying degrees of severity," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a post on Telegram.

1344 GMT — Ukraine has no plan to extend Russian gas transit deal

Ukraine said that it does not plan to prolong a five-year deal with Russia's Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe or to sign another one.

Under an agreement agreed between Moscow and Kiev in 2019, Russia pays Ukraine to export gas to Europe via its pipeline network. The deal expires at the end of December 2024.

"I can confirm that we have no plans to enter into any additional agreements or extend this (current) agreement," Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko said.

A stress test last year of Ukraine's gas transmission system and underground gas storage facilities proved that its gas system "can function without transit", he said in a statement.

Moscow has said that Russia would use alternative routes and sea-borne liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the event that Ukraine did not extend the pipeline deal.

1320 GMT — Russia says it shot down a Ukrainian helicopter heading towards Belgorod region

Russian forces have shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 military helicopter which was heading towards Russia's Belgorod region, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

It said the helicopter had been shot down in Ukraine's Sumy region.

0836 GMT — Ukraine claims it downed 14 Russian drones over Odesa region

Ukraine claimed that it downed 14 out of 16 drones launched by Russia over the country's southwestern Odessa region.

A statement by Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia also launched five S-300 guided anti-aircraft missiles toward the country’s eastern Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, as well as two Kh-59 guided air missiles toward the northern Chernihiv region.

The downing of the drones comes as a missile strike on the city of Odessa on Friday killed at least 21 people and injured over 70 others.

0836 GMT — Russia orders more firepower against Ukraine naval drones

Russia has ordered increased firepower and training for the navy to counter the threat of Ukrainian air and naval drones after a series of strikes on Russian warships.

"There must be training for personnel every day. Training on how to repel attacks from the air and by uncrewed boats," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a statement during a visit to the Black Sea fleet in southern Russia.

Shoigu "ordered the installation of additional firepower, large-calibre machine gun systems to defeat enemy drones," the defence ministry statement said.

0707 GMT — Shelling kills girl in Russia's Belgorod: governor

Ukrainian shelling of the Russian city of Belgorod and the surrounding area on Sunday killed a 16-year-old girl and wounded her father, the region's governor said.

"A private residential house in which she was staying caught fire as a result of an incoming shell. Her father is in shock and also injured," governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

0703 GMT — Russian defence minister orders better protection of Black Sea navy

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered the Black Sea navy to strengthen the protection of its facilities and conduct regular drills on how to repel attacks on its ships, the Interfax news agency reported.

Shoigu visited the navy's command centre, it said. Russia's Black Sea navy has come under frequent attacks from Ukrainian forces.

0549 GMT — Russia shoots down 12 Ukrainian rockets over Belgorod region

Russian forces shot down 12 rockets launched from Ukraine towards Russia's Belgorod region , the Russian defence ministry has said in a statement.

0304 GMT — Drone strike on Russian refinery, one dead: regional authorities

A new drone attack blamed on Ukraine has caused a fire at a refinery in southern Russia, the Krasnodar regional authorities have said, adding that one person had died after suffering a suspected heart attack.

"The fire on the territory of the Slavyansk oil refinery has now been completely extinguished. According to preliminary information, one person died at the time of the drone attack, the preliminary cause of death being a heart attack," the Krasnodar region operational headquarters said on Telegram.

0517 GMT — Ukrainian drones strike polling station in Zaporizhzhia region : official

Two Ukrainian drones have attacked a polling station in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, said Russian-installed local official Vladimir Rogov.

The attack set the building on fire, but caused no casualties, he said on the Telegram messaging app.

0512 GMT — Russia shoots down 35 Ukrainian drones overnight: Moscow

Russia has said its air defences shot down 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, the final day of voting in the country's presidential elections.

Air defences "intercepted and destroyed" 35 unmanned aerial vehicles in eight different regions, including four over Moscow, the defence ministry said.

0445 GMT — Russia launches 14 drones on Odesa, damages agribusinesses : Ukraine

Russia has launched 14 drones on Odesa overnight, damaging agricultural enterprises and destroying buildings, the south command of Ukraine's armed forces said.

"Fires were extinguished promptly," the command said on the Telegram messaging app. "People were not injured."

Of the drones, 13 were destroyed over the Odesa region, and one on its approach over the Mykolaiv region, the command added

0244 GMT — Several drones flying towards Moscow destroyed: mayor

Russia's air defence systems has destroyed several drones flying towards the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said.

One drone was destroyed in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region and one in the Stupinsky district, while two were downed earlier in the area of Domodedovo, Sobyanin posted on the Telegram messaging app.

There were no casualties or damage reported, he said.

For our live updates from Saturday, March 16, click here.