Due to losses, Russian pilots begin filing discharge papers - General Staff

Russian air force pilots are filing for discharge en masse due to the high amount of casualties in the war against Ukraine. 

Source: Evening briefing of General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces

Quote: "The 960th Assault Aviation Regiment of the 4th Army of the Russian Armed Forces has suffered significant losses. The morale of the air force is extremely low due to the high number of casualties. Cases of discharge applications due to unwillingness to take part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine continue to mount.

The Ukrainian defence has inflicted significant losses on different units of the 252th Motorised Rifleman division of the Western Military District, which are currently engaging in combat operations in various parts of the Kharkiv and Izium regions.

Up to 30 units of specialised military equipment and vehicles have been destroyed. Additionally, units of the Ukrainian Defence Force have eliminated the commander of 3rd motorised rifleman division – Colonel Igor Nikolaev"

Details: According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian occupying forces plan to conduct another wave of mobilisation in the occupied territories of Donetsk to refill their ranks. 

The General Staff also reports that in addition to units of the Russian Armed Forces, police officers from Russia's Krasnodar region and occupied Crimea were noticed in the temporarily occupied Kherson region.

With this police presence, Russia's FSB office is attempting to intimidate and terrorize the local population of the Kherson region into submission. There are also attempts to coerce members of the local population in collaboration by offering them a position in the so-called "local police" of the occupiers.

Ukrainian military command claims that Russia has used up its entire reserve of naval based "Kalibr" rockets and "Iskander" tactical missiles. According to the General Staff, it is due to this shortage that Russian troops have resorted to using unguided weapons on cities and civilian targets, in order to cause as much damage as possible. 

The report notes that the enemy has lost all offensive momentum and has been stopped in all directions. The Russians are facing serious problems with supply and communications.

Additionally Russian occupiers continue to engage in various war crimes against the civilian population in violation of international humanitarian law.  The blockade of Mariupol and the disruption of agreed "humanitarian corridors" for the population were also mentioned. 

Previously Reported: In the afternoon of 17 March, the General Staff informed the public that the occupying forces of the Russian Federation attempted to reach the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but were met with fierce resistance by units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In addition, the report noted that the enemy is conducting missile strikes on facilities in areas where there are no active combat operations, such as Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia.