Ukranian Battalion commander of 46th brigade demoted after interview to Washington Post, hands in resignation

"Anatolii "Kupol" Kozel, was demoted from the post of combat battalion commander of the
46th Airmobile Brigade to deputy commander of the training center battalion after a controversial interview with The Washington Post. In response to such a move, Kupol wrote a resignation letter.

Commander Kupol was one of the interviewees of The Washington Post, and the conversation resulted in the outlet writing that the Defence Forces of Ukraine lost many of the most experienced fighters on the battlefield, and the inexperience of recruits, coupled with the lack of weapons, allegedly reduces optimism and calls into question Kyiv’s readiness for the spring offensive." Yahoo

Ukraine downs Russian Su-25, 13 drones in one day

"Ukraine’s Air Force carried out 16 strikes on Russia’s manpower and equipment clusters on
Wednesday. Also, an enemy Su-25 fighter jet and 13 unmanned aerial vehicles of various types were destroyed.

"The enemy is focusing its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Shakhtarsk axes. Over the past day, the enemy has carried out more than 75 assaults in the said areas. Facing fierce resistance on the part of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, the Russian Federation continues to apply terror tactics against the civilian population of Ukraine, striking and shelling populated areas. Over the past day, the enemy has launched three missile strikes, in particular, on a civilian infrastructure object in Kharkiv. The enemy has also carried out 29 airstrikes and 79 strikes involving MLR systems," the statement reads." Ukrin

Partial power outages in Kyiv city and Oblast

"In certain parts of the Bucha, Obukhiv and Fastiv districts, outages are taking place according
to stabilisation schedules. Due to equipment damage, energy facilities cannot supply energy to all residents of these districts." Pravada

Huge fire in Rostov-on-Don: FSB building burning, explosions heard

"In Rostov-on-Don, Russia, the building of the FSB (Federal Security Service of Russian
Federation) Border Guard is on fire, and Russian social media write that they heard an explosion earlier." Pravda

Cuba accepts Russian payment system

"Cuban banks have started accepting MIR cards, Russia’s alternative to Visa and Mastercard,
the payment system announced on Tuesday." RT

Poland Halves Aid for Ukrainian Refugees as Inflation Crisis Bites

"Poland has cut funding for Ukrainian refugees in half this month, with the country no longer
able to afford to fund their accommodation in the country at the same rate despite funding from the European Union.

The European Union has given the country 123 million euros under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and received 200 million euros from the “Stand Up for Ukraine” fundraiser last year, but the money is simply not enough, with Poland spending an estimated 8.36 billion euros on Ukrainian refugees last year." Breitbart

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