Dispatches from Ukraine, provided by Forbes Ukraine’s editorial team.
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes Ukraine’s reporters will continue to gather information and provide updates on the situation. We will be sharing them here as they come. Live coverage from Forbes Ukraine’s site can be found here.
March 16, Wednesday, Day 21. By Daryna Antoniuk
Regional
Kyiv:
Russian troops shelled several private houses in Kyiv's Podilsky district. No casualties have been recorded.
Mariupol:
The Russian military bombed a public swimming pool and theater in Mariupol. The two locations were being used as bomb shelters for several hundred people, including pregnant women and mothers with young children.
Russian troops also fired on a column of civilians evacuating from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. Some civilians were killed and children were injured.
Nearly 2,187 residents of Mariupol have been killed by Russian attacks as of March 13.
Vinnytsia
Russian forces hit a TV tower in Vinnytsia, leaving some residents without a TV signal. No casualties are reported.
Kharkiv:
Three people were killed, five were injured as a result of the shelling at a market in Kharkiv.
Chernihiv:
Russian troops killed 10 people standing in line for bread in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. Russia’s defense ministry has denied the charge, claiming no Russian soldiers were in Chernihiv.
Melitopol:
Russian forces have released from captivity Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, on March 16. Last week Fedorov was reportedly kidnapped by Russian soldiers.
World
The U.S. has allocated an additional $800 million in defense aid for Ukraine. The new package would include 800 anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 anti-armor systems, 7,000 small arms, and drones. Ukraine has already received more than $1 billion in aid from the U.S.
In another video address, Putin said that the war is developing “according to the plan.” He also claimed that the Russian army was “doing everything” to avoid civilian casualties. However, the Russian military attacks civilian and residential areas in Ukraine every day, killing thousands of people, including women and children.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" for the first time since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Biden’s comments characterizing Putin as a war criminal were “unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric.”
Russia has been excluded from the Council of Europe after 26 years of membership.
Russia blocked access to the BBC’s main news website on March 16, continuing its crackdown on independent media.
Russia hacked a Ukrainian TV channel and broadcast a fake address from President Volodymyr Zelensky. The fake message said that Zelensky “would surrender and give up arms.” Zelensky called this provocation “childish.”
Business
Nearly 17,000 Ukrainian companies are owned by Russian or Belarusian citizens. According to Forbes Ukraine, Ukraine has 1.25 million legal entities registered.
Zelensky signed a law legalizing cryptocurrency in Ukraine. The law will protect the owners of virtual assets and exchange platforms from fraud. The law on virtual assets allows crypto businesses to work officially in Ukraine and pay taxes here.
