Russian fighter jet forces down US drone over Black Sea

 "A Russian fighter jet forced down a US Air Force drone over the Black Sea after damaging

the propeller of the American MQ-9 Reaper drone, according to the US military.

The Reaper drone and two Russian Su-27 aircraft were flying over international waters over the Black Sea on Tuesday when one of the Russian jets intentionally flew in front of and dumped fuel on the unmanned drone several times, a statement from US European Command said.

The aircraft then hit the propeller of the drone, prompting US forces to bring the MQ-9 drone down in international waters." CNN

"The Market Is Being Brutal": Futures Crash As Banks Crisis Slams Europe, Credit Suisse Craters

"Just when it seemed that futures may finally be stabilizing after a week of rollercoaster moves
and one day after US regional banks rebounded amid hopes that the US small bank run was easing, the bank crisis made a triumphant arrival in Europe where it was all about Credit Suisse.

The Swiss Bank, already trading at all time lows after it said yesterday that its financial reports had a material weakness, cratered more than 20%...... after the bank's top shareholder, Saudi National Bank Chairman Ammar Al Khudairy, whose stake has lost more than one-third of its value in three months, ruled out investing any more in the troubled Swiss bank as a bigger holding would bring additional regulatory hurdles." ZH

8 Senators Urge Pentagon to ‘Take a Hard Look’ at Sending Ukraine F-16s: Could Be ‘Game Changer’

"A bipartisan group of senators called on the Pentagon to “take a hard look” at sending
advanced U.S. fighter jets to Ukraine to aid the country in its war with Russia.

The group of eight senators, led by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), wrote in a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the U.S. was “at a critical juncture in the conflict” and asked Austin to answer numerous questions on the possibility of sending Ukraine F-16 aircraft.

“After speaking with U.S., Ukrainian, and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the U.S. needs to take a hard look at providing F-16 aircraft to Ukraine,” the senators wrote.

In addition to Kelly, senators signing on to the letter were:

• Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
• Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC)
• Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
• Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
• Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

“This would be a significant capability that could prove to be a game changer on the battlefield,” they added, noting they were “encouraged” by reports that two Ukrainian pilots had recently visited Morris Air National Guard Base in Kelly’s home state for a training assessment that included using an F-16 simulator." Breitbart

Russia attack Odesa Oblast in morning: Su-24s launch 4 anti-radar missiles

 "Russia launched a missile strike on Odesa Oblast using tactical aircraft.....During the
morning air attack, Su-24 aircraft launched four anti-radar missiles, presumably Kh-31s, in the direction from the sea to the coast." Pravada

Zelenskyy holds meeting of Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff: decision on Bakhmut was made

"Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, convened a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s
Staff on 14 March. Defence on the Bakhmut front was discussed. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that now it is very "tough and painful" in the east of Ukraine, but the country's future is being decided there." Pravada

US banking contagion spreads to Asia

"Asia’s leading stock index erased all of its gains for the year on Tuesday as bank stocks
continued declines triggered by the collapse of a growing number of US financial establishments.

The MSCI Asia Pacific index fell 2.3%, with Japanese banks among the biggest drags on the market. The index is down more than 9% from this year’s high recorded in January, wiping out its gains for the year." RT

Moody’s puts US banks on notice

"Moody’s Investors Service announced on Tuesday it is placing the First Republic Bank and five other American lenders on review for a downgrade. The move comes as concerns grow over the health of the US financial system following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and two other lenders.

Zions Bancorporation, Western Alliance Bancorporation, Comerica, UMB Financial Corporation and Intrust Financial Corporation were all on the list, Moody's revealed." ZH

Canadian Foreign Minister Calls For "Regime Change" In Russia

"Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly admitted that the long term goal of western
involvement in Ukraine is not merely to see Moscow defeated, but to enact “regime change” in Russia." ZH

North Korea Fires Cruise Missiles From Submarine Amid Large US-N.Korea Drills

"North Korea's to be expected muscle-flexing has begun in response to the US and South
Korea going ahead with recently announced joint military exercises, expected to be one of the largest joint drills between the allies in recent history. North Korea fired at least one missile from the Sea of Japan. Notably it was from a submarine, which is a rarity given the past year's spate of land-based launches. The Hill notes that "North Korea claimed to have fired two missiles from a submarine in the sea, but South Korean military officials said they only tracked one missile fired from the submarine near the North Korean port city of Sinpo." ZH

Hero Matsiievskyi executed for saying "Glory to Ukraine!" was Moldovan citizen

"Oleksandr Matsiievskyi, a soldier of the Territorial Defence Forces of Chernihiv Oblast who was executed in Russian captivity, had Moldovan citizenship. 

..... statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova;

"After the Ukrainian side confirmed that the soldier executed by Russian soldiers was Oleksandr Matsiievskyi, we strongly condemn the murder of the Moldovan citizen, which can be qualified as a war crime and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. We express our deep condolences to the family and friends of Oleksandr Matsiievskyi, and we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people." On 12 March 2023, the Security Service of Ukraine established that Oleksandr Matsiievskyi, a sniper of the 163rd Battalion of the 119th Territorial Defence Brigade of Chernihiv Oblast, was the Ukrainian soldier executed after saying "Glory to Ukraine!"Pravada

Seoul’s mayor makes nuclear weapons call

"The conflict in Ukraine proves that South Korea needs to obtain nuclear weapons in order to counter the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, Seoul’s mayor has said. 

“North Korea has nearly succeeded in miniaturizing and lightening tactical nuclear weapons and secured at least dozens of warheads,” Oh Se-hoon said.

In such a situation, “it is difficult to convince people with the logic that we should refrain from developing nuclear weapons and stick to the cause of denuclearisation,” he added.

The mayor of Seoul, which hosts nearly half the country’s population of 51 million, said the Russia-Ukraine conflict has convinced him that South Korea should seek a nuclear deterrent." RT

U.S. Weapons Sent To Ukraine Are Now Being Found in Iran

"Military aid provided by the United States and its NATO allies to Ukraine is being found in
the hands of Iranians, according to a new CNN report.

“Russia has been capturing some of the US and NATO-provided weapons and equipment left on the battlefield in Ukraine and sending them to Iran, where the US believes Tehran will try to reverse-engineer the systems,” four sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

“Over the last year, US, NATO and other Western officials have seen several instances of Russian forces seizing smaller, shoulder-fired weapons equipment including Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft systems that Ukrainian forces have at times been forced to leave behind on the battlefield,” CNN added." PJ

New explosions near Mariupol, Russian planes on alert

 "Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, reports that there are explosions in
the area. Explosions in the Mariupol area in the direction of the village of Sartana. After the explosions, the occupiers deployed their aircraft into the sky." pravada

North Korea prepares for ‘real combat’

"North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on his troops to prepare for “real combat,” as
the US and South Korea conduct back-to-back military drills on the Korean Peninsula. These drills, Pyongyang said, make the prospect of nuclear war “a realistic one.” RT

Russia Uses Ship-To-Ship Transfers To Boost Diesel Exports To Saudi Arabia

"Russia is accelerating its exports of diesel to Saudi Arabia by both direct shipments and ship-to-ship transfers. Russia is shortening the routes for tankers headed to Africa and Asia after Moscow is now banned from exporting fuels to the EU." ZH