By Kathleen Magramo, Jack Guy, Ed Upright, Mike Hayes and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 12:03 a.m. ET, March 29, 2023
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3:19 a.m. ET, March 28, 2023
Russia fires cruise missiles during training exercise in waters off Japan's coast
From CNN's Tara Subramaniam in Hong Kong
A still image from video released by Russia's Defense Ministry on March 28, shows what it said to be a missile ship of Russia's Pacific Fleet firing a Moskit cruise missile at a mock enemy sea target in waters off Japan's coast. (Russian Defense Ministry/Reuters)
Russia’s Pacific Fleet fired a pair of supersonic missiles at a mock target in waters off Japan’s coast on Tuesday morning, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
“A team of two missile boats carried out a joint missile strike against a sea shield simulating a simulated enemy warship,” the ministry said in a Telegram post. “The target was successfully engaged at a distance of 100 km (62 miles) by a direct hit from two Moskit cruise missiles.”
The maneuver on Tuesday comes after Russia conducted drills earlier this month in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, with a submarine hitting a land target over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away with a Kalibr cruise missile – the same type of missile Moscow regularly uses in its war in Ukraine.
British tank arrivals and 2 dead in Russian strikes. Here are the latest headlines
From CNN staff
Multiple explosions were reported in Kyiv late Monday night, the city’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, said on his official Telegram channel.
“Preliminarily, there are no casualties,” he said.
The city’s air raid sirens were activated ahead of the explosions, the Kyiv region military administration said on Telegram.
Here are the latest developments:
Western tanks arrive: Ukraine has received its first British main battle tanks, along with other donated Western-made armored vehicles, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced Monday. "Today, I had the honor to test the newest addition to our armored units together with the commander of the Airborne Forces, Major General Maksym 'Mike' Myrhorodskyi, and our paratroopers,” Reznikov said in a Facebook post.
Zelensky visits regions: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday visited the region of Zaporizhzhia, which remains partially occupied by Russia.He stopped by a military hospital and met with Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and members of the military. Zelensky also accused Russia of nuclear blackmail over its control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Wagner chief in Bakhmut: The head of Russia's Wagner private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, paid another visit to the front lines inside the eastern city of Bakhmut, according to video geolocated by CNN. The video was uploaded Monday and was filmed by Russian journalist Alexander Simonov. It’s unclear exactly when it was shot.
Deadly strikes in Sloviansk: Ukrainian authorities have concluded search and rescue operations on the site of Russian missile strikes in Sloviansk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk region military administration, told national broadcasters on Monday. At least two people were killed and 32 were injured in the strike on the eastern city.
Opposition to Belarus nuclear move: Russia’s decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus “aims to subjugate Belarus and violates its constitution,” said Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Monday. Germany also described Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear weapons decision as “irresponsible“ and “escalatory." German Foreign Office spokesperson Andrea Sasse said the announcement was a “further attempt at nuclear intimidation from Russia."
3:13 a.m. ET, March 28, 2023
Explosions reported in Kyiv late Monday night, mayor says
From CNN’s Yulia Kesaieva
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a building materials store in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on March 28. (Sergey Shestak/AFP/Getty Images)
Multiple explosions were reported in Kyiv late Monday night, the city’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, said on his official Telegram channel.
“Explosions in the capital, initially in Obolon and Sviatoshynskyi residential districts. All services are being sent to the scene. More details will follow later,” Klitschko’s post read.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district, fire and rescue services are responding to the scene of a building fire, Klitschko said.
“Preliminarily, there are no casualties,” he said.
The city’s air raid sirens were activated ahead of the explosions, the Kyiv regional military administration said on Telegram.
“The danger in the adjacent region to the capital city remains! Air defense forces are on the alert,” the post read.
8:49 p.m. ET, March 27, 2023
Russia fails to gain votes on proposed UN Security Council resolution to investigate Nordstream attacks
From CNN's Richard Roth in New York
Gas emanates from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea on September 28, 2022. (Swedish Coast Guard/Getty Images)
Russia failed to gain enough votes on Monday at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for its proposed resolution to investigate attacks on the Nordstream pipeline.
Only three countries voted in favor of the proposed resolution, with 12 countries abstaining.
At least nine votes in favor were needed to pass the proposed resolution; however, the United States would still have been able to veto the move if it chose to.
US Ambassador Robert Wood told the UNSC that the US had nothing to do with the attack on the pipelines. He also questioned why Russia would attempt to pass the resolution after most UNSC members had expressed discontent toward the idea.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russian ambassador to the UN, said the truth will not be uncovered and urged the need for accountability.
8:47 p.m. ET, March 27, 2023
Zelensky accuses Russia of radiation blackmail after tour of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visits a missile-damaged area of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Monday March 27, 2023. (Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy on Monday thanked the secretary general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for his support and accused Russia of nuclear blackmail over its control of Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant.
The accusations come after Zelenksy visited the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro.
“I met with IAEA head Rafael Grossi. The topic is clear: the security of our energy industry, our nuclear plants. First of all, the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which Russia still uses for radiation blackmail of the world,” Zelensky said in his nightly address from Dnipro on Monday. “No other terrorist has reached such depths in his cynicism, in which Russia constantly seeks and finds a new bottom.”
Zelensky said Russia’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant threatened global security.
“Holding a nuclear power plant hostage for more than a year is the worst thing that could happen in the history of the European and in general global nuclear energy sector,” he said. “The longer the Russian occupation of the ZNPP continues, the greater will be the threat to the security of Ukraine, the whole of Europe and the world.”
“I am grateful to our partners, grateful to Grossi for understanding this and for supporting Ukraine in the relevant issues,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky’s meeting with Grossi came ahead of his visit to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant later in the week.
Zelensky met with frontline soldiers, visited a military hospital in Zaporizhzhia and saw the impact of Russian shelling in Marhanets and Nikopol. He also held a Cabinet meeting in Dnipro.
“I have just held a meeting of the Staff — for the first time away, in Dnipro. Right here — in the strategic city of the center of our country, after visiting Marhanets and Nikopol, Zaporizhzhia, the frontline positions of our warriors in the Zaporizhzhia region,” he said. “The commanders of the operational areas reported the actual situation.”
“Every commander understands that the enemy must be held accountable for every attack on our cities and villages, on our people. For Sloviansk, for Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka, for Avdiivka and Toretsk, for all the pain of Ukrainians — and not only during the full-scale war, but also since 2014,” he said.
8:39 p.m. ET, March 27, 2023
Ukraine to take part in US-led Summit for Democracy, Zelensky says
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio
President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Office of the Ukrainian Presidency)
Ukraine is taking part in the US-led Summit for Democracy, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Monday.
“We are already preparing for an important international event that will take place this week at the initiative of President (Joe) Biden and the United States,” he said. “Summit for Democracy. Ukraine will participate. Our position in support of freedom will sound strong, as always.”
Zelensky did not provide additional details on his country’s participation.
“I am thankful to everyone who helps our country protect freedom,” he concluded.
