2️⃣3️⃣ March. Key news of today:

▪️ The death toll in a Moscow terror attack has risen to 133 (according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation) and 143 (according to Margarita Simonyan).

▪️ There are 107 injured people in hospital beds, including 3 children. 16 people, including 1 child, are in extremely serious condition. The condition of many patients is gradually improving.

▪️ Putin addresses the Russians: 11 people have been arrested, including 4 perpetrators, all will be justly punished, including those behind the terrorists.

▪️ Ukrainian lead: the shooters were heading for Ukraine for a reason - a "window" had been prepared for them there and there were "appropriate contacts". Many Russian politicians have spoken out strongly on this issue, directly linking the terrorist attack to Kiev.

▪️ One member of the band Piknik, who were due to perform at Crocus on the fateful day, has been found: according to a RIA Novosti source, the head of production hid in the dressing room and then escaped through the basement.

▪️ Contrary to rumours, the terrorists were not and do not have Russian citizenship, the Russian Interior Ministry has assured. All perpetrators of terrorist attack are foreigners

▪️ There is enough blood for the wounded, said Deputy Prime Minister Golikova, but Muscovites are still queuing for hours at donor stations. "I can't sit at home, suddenly my blood will save someone," one of the donors told RIA Novosti.

▪️ A new round of debate on the death penalty: Slutsky called for "an exception to the moratorium for terrorists". United Russia promised to study the issue in depth and "make a decision that corresponds to the feelings of society".

▪️ The rubble of Crocus is being dismantled by hand - mountains of mangled metal. Flowers are brought in an endless stream to spontaneous memorials in Moscow, other Russian cities and abroad.

Development of the special military operation:

🔘 In the Avdeevka area, units of the Central Group of Forces took more advantageous positions and, through active actions, defeated concentrations of AFU men and equipment.

🔘 In addition, 12 counter-attacks by units of the 25th Airborne, 3rd Assault, 24th and 47th Mechanised Brigades of the AFU were repulsed in the areas of Novgorodskoye, Semenovka, Orlovka, Tonenkoye and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic.

🔘 The AFU lost up to 350 soldiers, two armoured combat vehicles and five vehicles. The following were hit in the counter-battery fire: a Czech-made DANA self-propelled artillery unit, a D-20 howitzer, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery unit and a US-made M119 gun.

@ukraine_watch