"Kalibr" flew from Sevastopol to western Ukraine

The "month" of the special operation on the territory of Ukraine will be remembered for a vivid demonstration of the increased capabilities of the Russian armed forces – the Black Sea Fleet was marked by strategic strikes.

On the evening of March 22, almost from the bay of Sevastopol, the small rocket ship of project 21631 "Buyan-M" at sunset fired a volley of eight “Kalibr” cruise missiles, which was immediately recorded by eyewitnesses.

As it later became known from the reports of the Ministry of Defence, at least one of the targets was an arsenal 14 kilometres from the western Ukrainian city of Rovno – which continues the trend previously noted by RUSSTRAT about shifting the focus of missile and bomb attacks into the depths of western Ukraine. As a result of the strike, a large number of weapons and military equipment were destroyed, including those received as aid from NATO countries.

The possibility of the successful operation of “Bastion” coastal missile systems was also demonstrated not only for sea, but also for land targets. Missile strikes, as well as operational tactical and army aviation, have hit 97 objects of the military infrastructure of Ukraine over the past day.

The "antagonists" of the Russian Aerospace Forces also acted very successfully – during the day, Russian air defence systems shot down one Ukrainian Su-24 in the Izyum area near Kharkov and 16 Ukrainian UAVs, including three Bayraktar TB-2.

It is likely that from the reports of the Ministry of Defence it will soon be possible to find out the exact number of Turkish drones that were delivered to Ukraine – their number was described as "dozens", but an exhaustive figure did not sound in the open press.

The total number of samples of Ukrainian aircraft destroyed during the month was 184 aircraft and helicopters, as well as 246 unmanned aerial vehicles.

On the ground, 189 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1,558 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 156 multiple rocket launchers, 624 field artillery and mortar guns, 1,354 units of special military vehicles were hit.

The successful practice of night helicopter raids continues, the "score" of Russian Ka-52 and Mi-28n increased by 8 tanks, 5 infantry fighting vehicles and APCs, 9 cars and tractors, 3 pillboxes, 7 field artillery guns and mortars over the past night.

For their part, the Ukrainian forces also do not change tactics, which amounts to the maximum use of "human shields". Infantry equips firing points in apartment buildings, and civilians are forcibly held, and military equipment uses shopping malls and social facilities as shelter. The roofs of residential buildings are used to house artillery reconnaissance stations and other equipment.

It is worth noting the serious strengthening of the information and propaganda work of the Russian Ministry of Defence. First of all, this is expressed in the prompt publication of video materials that allow us to assess the degree of effectiveness of the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The bewilderment of the first period of the special operation, associated with the lack of coverage of the work of Russian drones, dissipated a month later: drones and barrage ammunition successfully destroy point targets and even targets hiding in residential buildings. In this way, two operational-tactical "Tochka-U" in the industrial zone of Kiev and 10 SAMs, including one S-300, were destroyed.

Important media markers were the announcement of the speech of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the NATO summit on March 24 and the successful negotiations of Russian pranksters with British Defence Minister Ben Wallace.

Zelensky's speech, despite dozens of statements from NATO that Ukraine will definitely not be accepted into the alliance now, can only speak of the exhaustion of other hopes of the Kiev regime. Apart from the unrealistic attraction of NATO to his side, Vladimir Zelensky obviously has no ideas.

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reinforced NATO's reluctance by noting that any NATO contingents on the territory of Ukraine, even "peacekeeping," would lead to a direct clash of the Russian army with NATO units – which would have predictable and far-reaching consequences.

This remark can be regarded as very timely, and having a clear addressee. The Polish military has developed a project of a NATO "peacekeeping mission" in Ukraine, within the framework of which it is supposed to introduce a Polish contingent into the territory that was part of Poland until 1939.

According to Polish media, the country's president Andrzej Duda is afraid to give permission for the use of Polish troops until he receives approval of the operation from the United States. Surely this issue will be raised on March 24, taking into account the visit of US President Joe Biden to the extraordinary NATO summit.

The prankers' dialogue with Ben Wallace, who actually confirmed the intention to facilitate Ukraine's acquisition of nuclear weapons, also became another strong explanation of why a special military operation was launched.

At the main theatre of the special operation, the situation has not changed significantly, there is a gradual grinding of the remnants of Ukrainian combat-ready units – including units of the 54th separate mechanised brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Novomikhailovka area.

DPR troops, having passed Verkhnetoretskoye, are pursuing the retreating 25th Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. From the confirmed data - the Novobakhmutovka railway station was taken under control.

The intensive flow of refugees from Mariupol may indicate the loss of control over key roads to exit the city by nationalists accumulated in the city and the advance of Z units to the centre of the settlement.

The defeat of Mariupol may turn out to be a serious factor for destabilising the remnants of the vertical of Ukrainian power and will free up forces to complete work on Kharkov and Nikolaev with access to Poltava, Dnepropetrovsk and Odessa.