Ukraine confirms withdrawal from Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Without confirming the withdrawal with a statement, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces posted the latest battlefield maps on social media, which showed a complete retreat from Sudzha.
Trump-Putin phone call expected this week, US hopes for ceasefire within weeks, envoy says. “I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we’re also continuing to engage and have a conversation with the Ukrainians,” Witkoff told CNN after meeting Putin in Moscow on March 13, as cited by Reuters.
Zelensky announces upcoming Ramstein summit in Brussels. “We are preparing for Brussels,” Zelensky said. According to the president, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is currently organizing the next meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG).
No more lost territory, return of deported children — Kyiv names red lines for peace deal, Independent reports. “It is not reasonable to demand that, for example, Zaporizhzhia or Kherson be fully handed over — that sounds like a f*** off to us,” a high-level Ukrainian official said.
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Trump denies reports on his envoy waiting for Putin, calls media ‘sick degenerates.’ “The fake news, as usual, is at it again!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Why can’t they be honest, just for once?”
Ukraine appoints Andrii Hnatov as new chief of General Staff. Hnatov, who was formerly appointed as the deputy chief of the General Staff in February, will be replacing Anatolii Barhylevych, who took the role in February 2024.
Air Force says 47 Russian drones shot down overnight. Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 90 drones, targeting Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Odesa oblasts, according to the Air Force’s report.
Kremlin dismisses ceasefire as tactic to buy time for Ukraine’s military. “The Russian army is advancing on all fronts, and under these circumstances, the ceasefire could be viewed as a way to allow Ukraine to strengthen its position,” Yuri Ushakov, a close adviser to Vladimir Putin, told media on March 16.
