Russia-Ukraine war, anti-aircraft sirens in Kiev, Mariupol under bombs: 19 orphans remained isolated. Kahrkiv also under attack. The UN: over 6 million displaced persons

Thanks to the humanitarian corridors, 190,000 people have been evacuated since the beginning of the conflict. Hard back and forth between Moscow and Italy.

25th day of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and Russian forces cut off the Ukrainian army from the Sea of ​​Azov in Donetsk. Moscow confirms that it used the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, the latest generation secret superweapon, for the first time in the conflict to destroy an underground ammunition depot in western Ukraine. Mariupol is still under attack. Seven dead near Kiev. Killed and injured in the bombing in Karkhiv, according to Ukrainian media. Curfew in Zaporizhia. S-300 air defense missile systems and Odessa radio surveillance centers hit. Ukrainian President Zelensky asked to see his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to stop the war. “We are ready, but the US does not want Kiev to accept our requests,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergeĭ Lavrov.

But more than three weeks after the invasion, the tension is also rising at the diplomatic level. On Saturday 19 March, the Russian director of the European department warned Italy that sanctions will have “irreversible consequences”. Moscow then also attacked Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini, saying that during the pandemic Italy received “significant assistance” from Russia, including on “a request sent by the Minister of Defense, Guerini, who is now one of the main” hawks “and inspirers of the anti-Russian campaign in the Italian government,” said Alexei Paramonov. Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio replied harshly, according to which «repeated provocations that no longer surprise us». Prime Minister Mario Draghi also intervened noting that “the comparison between the invasion of Ukraine and the pandemic crisis in Italy is particularly hateful and unacceptable”.

Meanwhile, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Yucheng expressed a “lukewarm” position with respect to the conflict: “History has shown that they cannot solve problems, they will only harm ordinary people.” This is why Kiev has asked for a clearer condemnation: “China condemns barbarism.” And in an interview with Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel, Putin said that “US activity on biological weapons is unacceptable”, while Lavrov rejected the Polish proposal to send a NATO peacekeeping mission to Ukraine: “It is demagogy”.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Ukraine has evacuated 190,000 civilians through humanitarian corridors. In Italy 55,711 refugees, of which 22,389 minors and another 30,000 are expected, according to the Interior Ministry. The government has allocated 400 million for health, school and integration and funds will also reach the host families. On Saturday 19 March alone, over 6,600 Ukrainian people were rescued thanks to the humanitarian corridors. The mayor of Mariupol denounced the “deportation of thousands of citizens to Russia”. The Pope unexpectedly visited the children admitted to the Bambin Gesù in Rome.

Follow the updates hour by hour

00.47 – Cri, president meets volunteers on the border with Romania
Visit by the president of the Italian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), Francesco Rocca to Siret (Romania, near the Ukrainian border). The President met the volunteers of the Romanian Red Cross who work for the distribution of basic necessities and those of the Greek Red Cross who manage an advanced medical post. A meeting was also held with the coordination of the Romanian Civil Protection working on the spot. “It is exciting and a moment of great humanity to touch the work of so many volunteers in favor of the victims of a cruel conflict”, underlined the president in a video broadcast by Siret.

00.38 – Gb: Kiev controls the skies, Russia misses the target
Ukrainian air forces and air defense are continuing to effectively defend airspace. Russia fails to gain control of the skies and relies on weapons dropped from Russian bases to hit targets inside Ukraine. It is the analysis of British intelligence on the current situation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Control of the airspace was one of the main objectives of the Russian advance from the first days of the conflict and failure puts operational processes in crisis.

00.19 – Anti-aircraft sirens in Kiev
Anti-aircraft sirens are sounding in Kiev. Ukrinform reports this on its Telegram channel, inviting people to reach the shelters.

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