Xi's visit shows that Russian invasion has gone awry
Plus: The Hidden HQ Where Ukrainian Grannies Command Foreign Volunteersaturday War Update
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In this edition:
—Daily War Journal
—Ukrainian Memestry of Defense: Daily Freedom Meme
—Daily War Analysis
—Daily Situation Report
—Plus: Winnie the Poo-tin aka ‘The Russian and Moscow dictators meet’
DAILY WAR JOURNAL—ON CHICAGO’S WGN RADIO:
War Day 390: The Hidden HQ Where Ukrainian Grannies Command Foreign Volunteers
by JOE LINDSLEY, Ukrainian Freedom News
"I understand now, and I don't want to leave Ukraine. ... There is such purpose here," said a friend recently after visiting Lviv's Front Line Kitchen, where a team of Ukrainians and volunteers from around the world prepare nourishing, home-cooked meals for soldiers in the cold, muddy, terrifying trenches.
In my daily conversation with WGN Radio’s Bob Sirott, I share the story of Lviv’s Front Line Kitchen.
Plus:
What are the three things most of the foreign volunteers have in common?
Some Ukrainians previously have criticised President Zelenskiy's refusal to condemn Beijing's human rights violations. As the Chinese dictator meets with his Russian counterpart today, why does this matter?
And: You can follow and support the Front Line Kitchen on the Twitter:
20 MARCH 2023: Reports of Drone Attack in Occupied Crimea
There's quite a loud explosion around 40 seconds in. This is reportedly near Dzhankoy, where Russia has an air base.
Daily War Analysis: Xi's visit demonstrates that the Russian invasion has gone awry and may be at the precipice of failure.
Today, the Chinese dictator-president visited his Russian counterpart in Moscow. Our BRENNAN PHILLIPS offers an analysis:
To capitalize on the momentum, the West indicted Putin for war crimes before Xi's visit. Now Xi is viewed not as a peacemaker but revealed as an expansionist dictator fraternizing with a war criminal – this is more than bad optics; this is an admission of guilt and forcing a clear delineation between alliances - Axis and Allied.
Notably, the US is not a member of the International Criminal Court, so the ICC’s arrest warrant for Putin bucks Putin's narrative that his invasion of Ukraine is a war against the US.
Pergozhin may have also complicated matters for Putin by ordering his Wagner mercenaries to attack a Chinese gold mine in the Central African Republic, killing nine. This is on the heels of three Chinese workers being kidnapped, and Wagner is also suspected.
Moving forward there are three options for the West—namely, the US:
Withdraw support from Ukraine leading to the conquering of Ukraine. (Rationale: US economic security and de-escalation of the war - myopic and naive)
Maintain status quo and trickle support leading to devastating losses for Ukraine - a Pyrrhic victory. (Rationale: A long-term strategy that accelerates the Russian demographic crises and the inevitable collapse of RU - this comes at the cost of the UA society as they face the same demographic crises even before the '22 invasion)
Increase support for Ukraine and ensure an expeditious victory. (Rationale: Expeditious victory for Ukraine through increased military support - regaining Crimea is the only way to ensure persistent national security and stabilization, which means foreign investors will invest in the UA economy)
Strategically, it seems that the US has opted for putting Ukraine on a starvation diet of military support (just enough to continue fighting) to ensure the permanent collapse of Russia by accelerating their demographic crises - a crises that China faces as well.
Brennan Phillips is an American veteran, humanitarian, writer, and volunteer, who spent many months in Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian Memestry of Defense
Winnie and Poo-tin: Chinese dissident have long used the image of Winnie the Pooh to stand in for Xi Jinping, so much so that the image of the lovable cartoon character is now banned in China.
Daily Situation Summary: 20 MARCH: FORECASTS REGARDING THE SITUATION IN AVDIIVKA, XI JINPING ARRIVED IN RUSSIA FOR NEGOTIATIONS
by PAVLO VITENKO, Ukrainian Freedom News
The United States resumed deportations of Russians fleeing mobilization – The Guardian
For a year, the states provided asylum to Russian fugitives from Putin’s mobilization and repression. However, it appears that the position of the Biden administration has changed.
In the United States, deportations of Russians have been quietly resumed, an apparent reversal of the position taken after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when such deportations were suspended.
The Guardian writes about it.
According to the publication, a young Russian man who came to America fleeing Putin’s mobilization was suddenly deported from the United States back to Russia last weekend. He got to the USA through Mexico.
Jennifer Scarborough, a Texas attorney whose clients include four Russians who entered the US across the border from Mexico. One of her clients was deported to Russia over the weekend.
According to the lawyer, migration authorities came to the conclusion that the threat of mobilization cannot be considered a reason for granting asylum.
Two other Scarborough clients remain in legal limbo. They did not manage to submit the necessary documents in time, so the Russians can be deported at any moment. One is currently in an immigration detention center in Louisiana, and the other was released after going on hunger strike. The Russians assure the US immigration service that they will be persecuted or tortured if they return home.
Scarborough’s third client managed to file on time and was granted a new hearing.
«In March 2022, the US announced that it was ending deportations to Russia due to the political situation, so I don’t understand why they resumed it, and did it so quietly. If we are against this war, then why are we... deporting people to fight in Ukraine», – said the lawyer.
Summary by regions
Luhansk Region
In the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Novoselivske, Kreminna, and Bilohorivka. He carried out artillery shelling of Novoselivske, Nevske, and Bilohorivka.
Bilokurakyne district has been subjected to further provocations. The other day, vehicles with a blue-yellow flag moved through populated areas – the Russians were watching the reaction of the local population. The situation in the region remains difficult.
Donetsk Region
There was a rocket attack on Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region at night. The enemy used a S-300 missile. Aimed at the residential sector. Private and two-story houses were damaged. One person is injured. Also at night – a missile attack on Kramatorsk. City center. Damaged high-rise buildings. Information about victims and destruction is being clarified.
During the day, the Russians carried out airstrikes, struck with Hrad missile systems, tanks, mortars, and artillery. They fired at Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Velyka Novosilka, Vremivka, Orlivka, Tonenka, Severne. Two civilians were wounded in the region during the day.
Sumy Region
The Russians fired in the Sumy region yesterday afternoon, at night and this morning.
Since the evening, the enemy has been shelling the outskirts of the city of Seredyna-Buda with barrel artillery. This morning there was a shelling from the AGS in the vicinity of Velyka Pysarivka community. No loss or damage.
Yesterday, during the day, the Russians shelled the territory of Khotyn, Shalyhyne, Esman, Velyka Pysarivka, Krasnopillia, Seredyna-Buda and Bilopillia communities. Information about the consequences and destruction is being clarified.
Kharkiv Region
In the Slobozhansk direction, during the day, the enemy shelled the areas of Chervona Zorya, Strelecha, Hlyboke, Krasne, Staritsa, Vovchansk, Kolodyazne, Kamianka, Novomlynsk, Krasne Pershe, Dvorichna, Zapadne, and Kindrashivka settlements. In the Kupiansk direction, the occupiers fired artillery at the areas of the settlements of Vesele, Kupiansk, Krokhmalne, Pishchane, and Berestov. The occupiers carried out more than 10 mortar attacks on the villages of Oleksandrivka and Timofiivka, Bohodukhiv district. At least five private residential buildings were damaged. Kupiansk and Vovchansk were also under attack yesterday. No casualties.
Read the full region-by-region summary here.
War Day 387: The Sweetness of Music in the Tragedy of War
Listen hear to the music of Mozart’s son, Franz, who composed in Lviv:
In a Lviv café, people listened in silence to the classical music of Mozart's son, Franz, who lived and composed in this city for many years. In those moments of reflection, people thought of sweetness of peace time, past and future--amid unfolding tragic news as Ukrainians fight against masses of Russian invaders.
War Day 385: Reflections from a Ukrainian War-Time Train
"He has just leveled up and joined heavenly troops." KYIV—Having just arrived by train from Kharkiv on the Ides of March, I explain how all of Ukraine, the largest country in Europe, feels like a village of superheroes: everyone working for victory in different ways. Meanwhile, as more young heroes die, the question remains: Does the West really want speedy victory?
War Day 384: Ukraine and Free People vs Moscow and Beijing
KHARKIV—Reporting from the city's Saltivka neighbourhood, devastated but still-rebuilding amid shelling, I share the words of a friend fighting in Bakhmut, and we discuss what China is trying to do and the music of Ukrainian band Antytlia, singing about freedom even before the big invasion.
War Day 383: Navalny, real or fake?
LVIV—“The [Biden] administration doesn’t have a clear policy objective and a clear goal. Is it to drag this thing out, which is precisely what Vladimir Putin wants?” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). As Ukraine's poets and heroes die in battle, is the free world serious about Ukrainian victory?
“[It's something rare in our world of corporate and automated radio regular, real humanity.”
—Neil Steinberg, in the Chicago Sun-Times, on Joe Lindsley’s daily Ukraine reports with Bob Sirott of Chicago’s WGN Radio. We invite you to follow on YouTube.
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American journalist Joe Lindsley, in Ukraine since 2020, leads the Ukrainian Freedom News team of Ukrainians and foreigners on a mission to share real talk and real life in war-time with the world. Every weekday since late February 2022, he has reported live from Ukraine on Chicago’s WGN Radio with host Bob Sirott. You can listen to all episodes at UkrainianFreedomNews.com or via our YouTube channel.
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UKRAINIAN FREEDOM NEWS
Truth to the World | Supplies to Ukraine
Joe Lindsley, Editor-in-chief
Vitalii Gulden, Creative Producer
Beata Szrom, Operations Director
Pavlo Vitenko, Chief Reporter
Anton Hutyriak, Associate Editor
Luka Oleschyuk, Video Editor
Jean-Baptiste Besson, Field Editor
Brennan Phillips, War Columnist