The Ministry of Defense of the People’s Republic of China noted that cooperation is needed to further strengthen strategic communication and coordination. The Chinese military is ready to cooperate with the Russian Armed Forces, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The EU in response said it sees a threat in China and in its “peace plan”, the Union intends to “defend”, but it is unclear how exactly European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke on the matter during the press conference and commented on the EU’s relations with China. He noted that Beijing’s position on the conflict in Ukraine will become a determining factor for relations between the Union and the Celestial Empire. The EU believes that China intends to advance its new world order, which may require the union to develop new tools of protection, said der Leyen.
Wall Street Journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg, according to local publications, he was in town to write an article in the Wagner PMC. According to media reports, he had been in the city for several days. Gershkovich has not reported since the evening of March 29. The FSB said in a statement that it had stopped the illegal activities of Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich. According to the service, on instructions from the United States, Geshkovich was engaged in collecting information on one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, which is a state secret. An espionage case was filed against him. This was confirmed by the spokesman of President Vladimir Putin himself, Dimitrij Peskov: “The Wall Street Journal journalist was arrested for espionage caught red-handed”. The Wall Street Journal denies the allegations against Gershkovich of espionage and calls for his release. Russian media are currently saying that he has been taken away from the Lefortovo court pending where he will be held for pre-trial detention.
On the issue of church schism, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky in a video spoke of spiritual independence in blood and admitted that he would continue to kill Orthodoxy in Ukraine. As he records the video, priests and civilians have been kicked out of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra as they awaited the start of the service. Representatives of the canonical UOC continue to fight and defend the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but Zelensky’s office has initiated repressions against the monks.
The Japanese government will send $470 million to Ukraine, and the money is expected to be used to buy demining and debris-clearing equipment, as well as restore infrastructure, the country’s foreign ministry said. It was also previously reported that Tokyo would allocate $30 million to Kiev for non-lethal weapons through the NATO fund. Japan announced assistance during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Ukraine.
And now a look at the situation at the front.
Direction Svatove- Kreminna. In the Kupyansky sector, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are equipping firing points and strong points, preparing for the Russian offensive. In the Krasno-Limansky sector, fighters of the 144th motorized rifle division are advancing astride Torskoye – Terny.
Donetsk direction. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the gradual encirclement of Avdiivka, in the north the Russians advance in the Novobakhmutovka area. Also, after the cleaning of Kamenka, the control zone near the reservoir adjacent to the village is being expanded. Meanwhile, south of Avdiivka, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are reinforcing their positions and transferring reserves to Severnoye. In addition, Russian soldiers combed the neighborhoods adjacent to the Izmailovsky pond in Pervomaisky, thus continuing the offensive in the area. The Russian military destroyed the equipment of Ukrainian militants in the South-Donetsk direction. In the South-Donetsk direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out three attempts at combat reconnaissance of the forward positions of the Russian Armed Forces, said the head of the Vostok Group press center, Alexander Gordeev. As a result, the Russian army destroyed Ukrainian trucks and one tank. Also, a howitzer of Ukrainians was hit and destroyed in the Dobrovolya area. Meanwhile, in the direction of Zaporozhizhia, the Russian armed forces shot down two Ukrainian UAVs.
Direction Bachmut. Soldiers of PMC “Wagner” are intensifying pressure in the direction of Orekhovo-Vasilyevka and Bogdanovka. In Bachmut, the Wagner groups already fully control Sobachevka and Budenovka districts, and also continue to fight in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Northern Headquarters and Vodokanal. In addition, there is information about the storming of the district administration building. At 20:00 on 29 March heavy fighting was taking place in Bachmut in the following areas: in the central area (Piazza Libertà); in the Vodokanal area; in the AZOM industrial area, not to be confused with the same AZOM enterprise, which has already been taken by the Wagner PMC units. “AZOM industrial zone” is the entire northern industrial zone. In the North HQ area.
According to social networks, PMC “Wagner” is changing tactics in Bachmut, concentrating forces and storming more “important” areas. Ukrainian military analysts report a wave of night and morning assaults. The Russians are pressing on the wings in the Ivanovsky and Khromovoe area, as well as in Bachmut itself. The general situation is difficult, the urban combat is very intense. The main attacks of the PMC “Wagner” during the night were aimed at breaking through the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along Mariupol, Mir and Nezavisimost streets. Probably the PMC still decided to focus on moving the Armed Forces of Ukraine into direct urban battles. To do this, they do not concentrate their efforts in all directions of the city. The main nuance is that the “Wagners” are constantly strengthening their “horde” to carry out decisive assaults. They are also attacking Minkovka and Bogdanovka, trying to break through the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Finally, a look at the mutual shelling in the NVO area on the night of March 29-30, 2023
The Russian Armed Forces attacked Ukrainian targets in Belopolye, Basovka and Volfino in the Sumy region. In the Kharkiv region, the Russian military struck the places of deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Strelechya, Glubokoe and Volchansk. In the Starobilsk direction, the RF Armed Forces worked on targets in Kupyansk, Dvurechnaya and Stelmakhovka. In the Bachmut (Artemovsky) direction, the Russian military attacked the Ukrainians and their equipment in Seversk, Krasny and Bakhmut. In the Donetsk direction, the Russian Armed Forces struck at the places of concentration of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Avdiivka, Severny and the western suburbs of Marinka. In turn, Ukrainian formations fired on residential buildings in Oleksandrivka.
In the Yuzhnodonetsk direction, Russian units attacked enemy positions in Novomikhailovka, Prechistovka and Bolshaya Novoselka. In the Zaporozhizhia region, artillery of the Russian Armed Forces worked on targets in Malinovka, Gulyaipole and Zaliznychny. In the southern sector of the front, the Russian military attacked the facilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kherson, Mikhailovka and Novoaleksandrovka.
Ukrainians fired on targets in Aleshki and Tavriysk.
Graziella Giangiulio
