Good morning from Kyiv where the air raid sirens have just sounded but, at the time of writing at least, there are no signs of an attack. Let’s hope it stays that way. UPDATE: All clear given.
Elsewhere there’s more tragic news from Zaporizhzhia where the death toll from a Russian missile strike on a residential building has risen to five after more bodies were recovered from the rubble.
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“As of 08:00 am, five bodies of victims were found under the rubble of the house. Ten people are listed as missing and eight injured,” police said in a statement.
The US will today announce a new military aid package for Kyiv, as Ukrainian military officials called for “as much ammunition as possible” to help repel Russian attacks in the east of the country.
"Tomorrow, just unilaterally, the US will have another round of assistance for Ukraine," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.
You can read more about that story and find out what’s in the aid package here.
What was in President Zelensky’s latest message?
During his daily address on Thursday evening, President Zelensky vowed that Russia would be held accountable for its latest attacks on Ukrainian civilians, highlighting the recent fatal missile strike on a residential building in Zaporizhzhia.
“Today's brutal Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia will face our military and legal response,” he said.
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“The occupier will inevitably feel our strength. The strength of justice in every sense of the word.
“And I want to thank all our rescuers who have been clearing the rubble of the house whose block was destroyed by the missile since the night before. They managed to rescue 11 people, and more than 70 received help.”
Zelensky also revealed that over 40,000 Ukrainian “defenders” had been honored with state awards since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
What’s the latest military situation?
The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) update on Mar. 3 focuses on Russian arms companies who, despite the ongoing war against Ukraine, are still showcasing their wares at major international arms fairs.
The MoD notes that hi-tech equipment such as the “Arena-E active protection system (APS), designed to improve the survivability of armored vehicles” does not appear to be being put to use by Russia’s own armed forces.
“There has been no evidence of Arena-E systems being installed on Russia’s own vehicles in Ukraine, where it has lost over 5,000 armored vehicles,” the MoD says.
“This is likely due to Russian industry’s inability to manufacture high-tech systems at scale; a problem which is exacerbated by the effect of international sanctions.”
The Institute for the Study of War’s Mar. 2 daily assessment covers a multitude of topics, most notably:
· The Kremlin accused Ukraine of conducting a border incursion in Bryansk Oblast, Russia on March 2 — a claim that Ukrainian officials denied.
· German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on March 2 that Germany is negotiating with allies about providing security guarantees to Ukraine but provided no further details on these proposed guarantees.
· Russian authorities appear to be concerned over a growing loss of leverage in Serbia, which Russia has worked to integrate into the Russian sphere of influence for many years.
And that’s it for today’s Morning Memo.
Kyiv Post will bring you the latest news throughout the day and we’ll be back with another edition tomorrow.
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