⚡ Lavrov assesses outcomes of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul as positive step ahead but this is not final result

❗ Lavrov: Kiev's readiness to ensure non-bloc, non-nuclear status of Ukraine is significant progress

⚡ EU officials reportedly raid Gazprom offices in Germany

📞 Putin briefs Italian PM Draghi on Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul

Russia's Ministry of Defence gives an interim account of the special operation in Ukraine:

▪️ At the first stage of the special operation, it was planned to engage the enemy forces in the Kiev and Chernigov directions on the battlefield - this would not allow them to use forces in the Donbass, which is a priority;

▪️ Conditions for the final stage of the operation to liberate the republics of Donbass have been met;

▪️ Russian forces continue to destroy fortifications which the Kiev regime has been building for more than eight years, and have taken under control the main lines of communication and supply;

▪️ The air defence systems of Ukraine, the airfield infrastructure, the largest military depots and mercenaries' training centres have been destroyed;

▪️ Russian troops are regrouping to intensify actions in priority areas and to complete the operation for the liberation of Donbass;

▪️ In total, 124 aircraft and 77 helicopters, 214 unmanned aerial vehicles, 323 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,767 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 186 multiple launch rocket systems, 741 field artillery and mortars, and 1,657 units of special military vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been destroyed during the operation

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📞 Biden told Zelensky that the United States plans to provide Ukraine with $500 million in direct budget assistance - White House

⚡ Bruce Willis to retire from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia

Bruce Willis' family members issued a joint statement to social media announcing the actor’s retirement:

“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” the statement reads. “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”

“This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” the statement continues. “We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.
As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”

Israel has witnessed five different attacks in a mere two weeks: the country's leader Naftali Bennett links it to the hatred of the Jews. As tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are expected to escalate, the prime minister says the country's security forces should be creative and "adapt to a new threat".

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An eyewitness has told Sputnik that the Ukrainian military opened fire on Ukrainian settlements in the Kharkov region and towards the border with Russia. This happened on the night of 24 February, hours before the Russian military operation in Ukraine began.

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Former Russian President Medvedev ironically lists the best ways to cut Europe off gas:

▪️ Freeze the Nord Stream and the assets of the Bank of Russia
▪️ Refuse Russian gas imports
▪️ Refuse to pay for the gas in rubles
▪️ Raid Gazprom offices in Germany

"Well done! These are wise decisions made by European politicians! 🕯🕯🕯" Medvedev says.

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💬 Biden says will have decision on Title 42 soon

❗ EUCOM: US needs to resume military presence in Black Sea

Joe Biden receives his second COVID-19 booster shot

Highlights from the Russian Defence Ministry's briefing:

▪️ Russia has already delivered more than 6.5 thousand tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine;

▪️ Kiev announced 4 more humanitarian corridors in the Zaporozhye direction, recieved Russia's approval;

▪️ Ukrainian nationalists are holding over 4.5 million people hostage;

▪️ Kharkov is in the most critical humanitarian situation today;

▪️ Kharkov residents are being blocked by neo-Nazis, they cannot leave through humanitarian corridors, while those who try to flee are being fired at;

▪️ Russia has evacuated more than 20,000 people from dangerous regions of Ukraine, the DPR and the LPR over the past day without Kiev's assistance;

▪️ 3,063 people were evacuated from Mariupol over the past 24 hours;

▪️ Militants in Kharkov are installing firing points in the apartments of the city's residents, they threaten to shoot the owners if they disagree;

▪️ Terrorists from nationalist battalions have created so-called "flying death squads", which drive around the streets on and randomly fire large-caliber machine guns at apartment buildings in order to intimidate civilians;

▪️ Russia's MoD appealed to the UN, the OSCE and the Red Cross with a request to force Kiev to fulfill its humanitarian obligations

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❗ Berlin ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, German foreign minister says

⚡️🇺🇸Arizona governor Doug Ducey signed bills on Wednesday banning abortion after 15 weeks & protecting children from "irreversible surgeries"

MORE DETAILS: https://sputniknews.com/20220330/arizona-gov-signs-bill-banning-abortion-after-15-weeks-1094338412.html

⚡️⚡️The Pentagon says it moved its ships out of the Black Sea ahead of Russia's spec op because it was prudent to make clear the US is not interested in a conflict with Russia

❗️🇺🇸The US is not yet ready to talk about the possibility of becoming a security guarantor for Ukraine, the White House says

🏳️‍🌈🎥Disney has promised to help repeal Florida’s new parental rights law that it claims is anti-LGBTQ, despite doing business in multiple countries where homosexuality and gay marriage are illegal.

Disney has faced LGBTQ backlash and employee walkouts in protest of the company's delayed response in condemning the Republican-backed Parental Rights in Education law, which bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" in kindergarten through third grade.

The company announced Monday after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law that it is "committed to supporting the national and state organizations" that are working to have it repealed or struck down in court.

"The 'Don't Say Gay' bill should never have been passed and should never have been signed into law," the Walt Disney Company said in a statement, using a term for the bill that has been coined by progressives.

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🇺🇸🇮🇷 Sanctions which Washington has recently introduced against the Iranian ballistic missile program are unrelated to the 2015 nuclear deal, White House says

Earlier in the day, the US sanctioned one individual and four entities in Iran for allegedly being a part of a covert military procurement operation. The Treasury Department noted the announcement follows an Iranian missile strike on Erbil, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says targeted two Mossad training centers for Israeli forces, and attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saudi targets.

"These sanctions [on Iranians that were introduced today] are not connected to the Iranian nuclear deal," the White House said on Wednesday.

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