March 3, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Tori B. Powell and Matt Meyer, CNN

Updated 10:06 p.m. ET, March 3, 2023
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1:36 p.m. ET, March 3, 2023

New Ukraine aid package expected to total approximately $400 million dollars, US officials say

From CNN's Oren Liebermann

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, answers questions during the daily press briefing at the White House on March 2, in Washington, DC.
John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, answers questions during the daily press briefing at the White House on March 2, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A Ukraine security aid package worth approximately $400 million is expected to be announced Friday around the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House, according to two US officials.

The package will include ammunition for HIMARS rocket launchers and different artillery systems such as 155mm and 105mm. It will also include Armored Vehicle Launched Bridges for the first time, a system used to launch bridges to cross trenches and narrow water obstacles, the officials said. 

On Thursday, John Kirby, the National Security Council strategic communications coordinator, said the US will announce another round of assistance to Ukraine, including ammunition for HIMARS and artillery, but he did not specify how much.

This security assistance will be drawn directly from US inventories under Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), meaning the weapons and equipment can arrive in Ukraine quickly. Last week, the US announced $2 billion in aid under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which contracts with the industry to procure the supplies and takes more time.

Ukrainian officials have also been pushing to obtain US F-16 fighter jets, which President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have opposed so far. 

With the package expected Friday, the US will have committed more than $32 billion to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion more than one year ago.

10:42 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

Ukraine's air force claims to have shot down Russian fighter jet in Donetsk region 

From CNN's Radina Gigova and Vasco Cotovio 

The Ukrainian Air Force said Friday it has shot down a Russian fighter jet in the eastern Donetsk region. Russian state media is also reporting the incident, without specifying the model or ownership of the plane.

The Ukrainian Air Force claimed in a post published on its official Telegram channel that a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber was shot down near the town of Yenakiieve, in the Donetsk Region. Yenakiieve is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the city of Donetsk, inside territory controlled by Russian forces.

CNN is unable to verify the Ukrainian Air Force's claims about the model or ownership of the jet.  

"A plane has been shot down over the city. Everyone should leave the streets. We are investigating the situation," the mayor of Yenakiieve, Roman Khramenkov, said Friday on his official Telegram channel. 

A photo posted by the mayor shows black smoke rising in the sky not too far from several buildings in the city and the city's streets. 

Later, Khramenkov said he had visited the site of the plane crash, together with representatives from the police and emergency services. He said the current thaw is preventing access to the crashed plane, according to RIA Novosti. 

"The plane has crashed, there is smoke, it is on fire. We could see two pilots who ejected on parachutes," the mayor told Russian television, according to RIA Novosti. 

“No one is hurt on the ground because the crash site is a farm. Its owner says the plane is in the fields, in woodland. We are relying on his information. No one in the village or in the city has been affected," Khramenkov said.

9:38 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

Russia deploying most experienced units to Bakhmut amid intense fighting "in and around" city, Ukraine says

From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and Vasco Cotovio in London

The Ukrainian military said “intense fighting is taking place in and around the city” of Bakhmut in the east, with Russian forces deploying their more experienced units.

“The Russian occupiers have sent the most trained units of the PMC Wagner and other regular units of the Russian army to capture the city. Intense fighting is taking place in and around the city,” the Ukrainian Army Land Forces said in a post highlighting the visit to the front line by the commander of the Eastern Group of Forces, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. 

“In Bakhmut, the commander listened to the reports of the commanders on the situation in their subordinate units, and was informed about the problematic issues of improving the defense capability of our units on the front line,” the post read. 

According to the Ukrainian military, Russia continues to press in the hopes of “capturing Bakhmut and continues to accumulate forces to occupy the city.”

Earlier Friday: CNN reported that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's mercenary group Wagner said that Bakhmut was "surrounded," and called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to order his forces to withdraw. Ukraine dismissed Prigozhin's remarks, calling it a "disinformation campaign."

8:59 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

What you need to know about the battle for Bakhmut as Russian fighters edge into the eastern city

From CNN's Rob Picheta

A view across the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on October 15.
A view across the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on October 15. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)

Russian forces are edging closer and closer to capturing the city of Bakhmut, after weeks of bloody fighting gradually wore down a resolute Ukrainian resistance. Here’s what you need to know about the battle for Bakhmut:

Why is Bakhmut in focus?

Bakhmut is not the sort of city Moscow had hoped to be fighting for in the second year of its invasion – it is a relatively small location in eastern Donetsk, which has remained out of reach of Russia’s sluggish ground campaign for many months.

Russian forces have been making incremental gains around the city, but Ukrainian forces are yet to retreat, creating a standoff that recalls drawn-out battles for other eastern cities such as Severodonetsk over the past year.

Bakhmut's capture would represent some military progress for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and give his forces the opportunity to launch aerial attacks on more urban areas further west.

What’s happening on the ground?

There are still around 4,500 civilians in Bakhmut, including 48 children, the spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Donetsk regional military administration Tetiana Ignatchenko told CNN on Wednesday. She called on people to evacuate the city due to the danger.

But Ukrainian troops have acknowledged that it is becoming harder to hold onto the city as the routes in from the west are squeezed by Russian forces, who have advanced both to the north and south of Bakhmut.

The Ukrainian military has also confirmed that Russian forces are employing more experienced fighters from the ranks of the Russian private military company Wagner as they attempt to capture the town.

What does Bakhmut mean for the war?

The city's capture would represent a long sought-after success for Moscow’s forces – and bring some limited strategic value. It has important road connections to other parts of the Donetsk region; eastwards to the border with Luhansk, northwest to Sloviansk and southwest to Kostiantynivka.

If the Russians can take the high ground to the west of the city, nearby industrial towns Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk would be at the mercy of their artillery and even longer range mortars. And it is unclear where exactly Ukrainian forces would fall back to should they retreat from the city.

It also matters to Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has been keen to show his men can deliver with the seizure of Soledar and now Bakhmut.

But experts say capturing Bakhmut is unlikely to dramatically alter the overall picture of the war in eastern Ukraine, where little territory has changed hands in 2023.

CNN’s Tim Lister, Vasco Cotovio, Olga Voitovych, Jessie Gretener, Eleanor Pickston, and Laura Ford contributed reporting

8:26 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

Founder of Wagner mercenary group calls on Ukraine's Zelensky to order Bakhmut withdrawal

From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio, Olga Voitovych, Allegra Goodwin and Gianluca Mezzofiore.

The founder of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin delivers a video message outside of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on March 3.
The founder of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin delivers a video message outside of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on March 3. (Telegram)

The founder and financier of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin says his forces have all but surrounded Bakhmut, and is calling on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to order a withdrawal from the Donetsk city.

"The PMC Wagner units have almost surrounded Bakhmut, there is only one road left," he said to Zelensky in a video filmed on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut and posted on his social media channels. "The pincers are tightening."

They [Ukrainian soldiers] are fighting, but their lives near Bakhmut are short - a day or two. Give them a chance to leave the city. The city is in fact surrounded," Prigozhin concluded.

Russian attempts at encircling the city seemed to have eased Thursday into Friday, according to the Institute for the Study of War, with focus shifting toward pushing Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the city.

What Kyiv is saying: Ukraine dismissed the video, with Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communication saying on Friday that "this is part of a disinformation campaign against the population of Ukraine to spread panic and provoke the top military and political leadership."

The organization highlighted that Prighozin’s video was filmed on the outskirts of Bakhmut and not inside the city – matching CNN’s geolocation and analysis.

“The Russian command avoids visiting the front line, and it is not the first time that Prigozhin has imitated being on the front line while actually being in the rear,” the center added.

8:14 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet Biden on Friday after transformative year

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends press conference at an international conference of experts for reconstruction in Ukraine on October 25, in Berlin, Germany.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends press conference at an international conference of experts for reconstruction in Ukraine on October 25, in Berlin, Germany. (Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

A year ago, when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last visited Washington, Russian forces hadn't yet crossed the border into Ukraine, and dire warnings from the White House about an imminent invasion were met with skepticism.

Scholz returns Friday for meetings with President Joe Biden after a transformative 12 months that required Europe to dramatically rethink its own security and Germany to undergo its most significant shift in military and energy policy in decades.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has turned Scholz — who took office two months before Russia’s invasion — into a crisis leader, overseeing Europe’s largest economy and most powerful democracy during the worst violence on the continent since World War II.

And it has thrust him and Biden into one of the world’s most consequential relationships, sustained by shared opposition to Russia’s invasion but strained at moments over how to respond.

White House officials say over the past year, Biden has developed a solid relationship with Scholz, who succeeded longtime chancellor Angela Merkel at the end of 2021. They spoke by phone three times in January alone, and during Friday’s session at the White House they are expected to speak extensively one-on-one in the Oval Office.

The overwhelming topic of discussion will be Ukraine, according to senior administration officials, including discussions the two men have each held recently with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is pressuring the West for more powerful weapons as he prepares for a spring counteroffensive against Russia.

They could also touch on recent intelligence suggesting China is considering providing Russia with lethal aid, a step US officials fear could prolong the conflict, though China won’t be a “driving focus” of the talks.

7:24 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

The founder and financier of the Wagner mercenary group has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to order a withdraw from Bakhmut, saying the city is "surrounded."

Russian forces are advancing on the city, but the Ukrainian military said it is holding its ground in the battle for the eastern city and is not planning to withdraw.

Here are the latest developments:

  • Wagner says 'pincers are tightening around Bakhmut': In a video filmed on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut and posted to social media, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said: "The PMC Wagner units have almost surrounded Bakhmut, there is only one road left." He added: "The pincers are tightening." Russian attempts at encircling the city seemed to have eased Thursday into Friday, according to the Institute for the Study of War, with focus shifting toward pushing Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the city.
  • Vital supply bridge to Bakhmut blown up: A vital bridge connecting Bakhmut to the nearby village of Khromove has been blown up overnight by Russian forces, according to multiple sources speaking with CNN. A photo that confirmed the destruction appeared on social media. The bridge is the last main supply route from Bakhmut to the city of Chasiv Yar, and without any more paved roads for Ukraine to use in or out of the city, the supply and evacuation route will now be forced to go through dirt roads, both sources added.
  • Ukrainian forces blow up railway bridge inside Bakhmut: Separately, Ukrainian forces have blown up the remainder of a railway bridge inside the city of Bakhmut, according to Ukrainian forces and social media video geolocated by CNN. The bridge had been previously damaged by Ukrainian forces in August, and has now been blown up further.

  • Ukraine defense minister "confident" West will send fighter jets: Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said he is "confident" Western countries will supply fighter jets to Ukraine, despite resistance from some allies, according to an interview published in Germany's Die Bild newspaper Friday. He said he believes there will be a "so-called fighter jet coalition," like there is with the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks from Western allies.
  • China acknowledges different views on Ukraine but gives no reason for not signing G20 joint statement: China acknowledged Friday that there are "different views on the Ukraine crisis" among G20 members but stopped short of explaining its reasons for not signing a joint statement regarding the Russia-Ukraine war following the group's foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that "nothing except Ukraine" was of interest to the G20, calling it "a shame."
6:56 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

Ukrainian forces blow up railway bridge inside Bakhmut

From CNN's Olga Voitovyh 

Ukrainian forces have blown up the remainder of a railway bridge inside the city of Bakhmut, according to Ukrainian forces and social media video geolocated by CNN.

The bridge was previously damaged by Ukrainian forces in August, and has now been blown up further.

The video of the controlled explosion was widely shared on social media on Friday, along with unconfirmed reports it was a sign Ukrainian forces were preparing to withdraw from the city.

Ukraine’s 46th Brigade, currently operating in the city, denied the reports, saying the bridge was already unusable.

"The bridge that is now being shown as proof that we are leaving was blown up a long time ago. Those who are in Bakhmut know that. Now it was just a control shot. Don't spread panic," the soldiers said. "And yes, one can cross the river there without a bridge."

Some context: Russian forces are advancing on Bakhmut, but the Ukrainian military says it is holding its ground in the battle for the eastern city and is not planning to withdraw.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said Friday the city is "surrounded" and called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to order a withdrawal.

6:41 a.m. ET, March 3, 2023

Kremlin says extra measures taken to ensure safety of Russian borders after Bryansk attack

From CNN’s Anna Chernova

The Kremlin said Friday additional measures were being taken to ensure the safety of the Russian borders from further incursions following an attack on the Bryansk region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday there was an attack in the Ukraine-bordering Bryansk region, which he blamed on "neo-Nazis" who he said had penetrated the area.

In a press briefing Friday, Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a special "border regime" is in place and additional measures to protect the frontiers are being taken. He added that no decisions were made by Putin as of yet in regard to introducing martial law following the attack.

Russian security officials claimed Thursday that a small Ukrainian armed group had crossed the Russian border into the southern Bryansk region, claims dismissed by a top Ukrainian official as a "classic deliberate provocation."

Peskov's claims: Peskov praised a boy who reportedly survived the incident with injuries and a driver who the local authorities claimed died under fire.

Commenting on the incident earlier, Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov called the boy a hero and added that he had saved two other children from the car that was under shelling.

"A 10-year-old boy took two children out of the car, and they escaped. This is a real heroic deed," the minister said, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.