Economically:

  • The Vatican Bank transferred 10 million euros to buy rubles from the Central Bank of Russia in payment for gas
  • Dmitry Medvedev says that “the era of regional currencies is coming” because confidence in reserve currencies is melting away, “abandoning the dollar and the euro does not look like a fantastical prospect”.
  • Polish cabinet approves law to ban Russian coal imports by May, and Russian oil imports by the end of the year
  • The Russian Union of Grain Exporters has asked the central bank to see if they can request foreign buyers of Russian grain to make payments in rubles under export contracts, Kommersant reported on Wednesday, citing a copy of document.
  • Also: “State Duma speaker suggests expanding list of Russian goods exported for rubles”
  • Finland’s national railway operator has said it will resume services between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg in Russia on March 30, less than a week after having halted the service.
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the process of switching to ruble payments for Russian gas export deliveries will take time and won’t begin immediately this week, despite the March 31 deadline set by presidential order. Russia blinks?
  • German authorities have put into effect an emergency plan for the case of energy supplies termination from Russia, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said at the press conference in Wednesday.
  • Michael Hudson: “US dollar hegemony ended last Wednesday”
  • “The Russian Federation and China are looking for answers to the challenges that come from the West and the United States” Deputy Foreign Minister, Ryabkov
  • Russia will take practical steps to circumvent illegitimate Western sanctions, along with Iran and other partners - Lavrov.
  • “BRICS member countries will be at the heart of the new world order” - Deputy Foreign Minister, Ryabkov
  • The ruble continues to rise, sitting at 85 rubles to 1 dollar (88 yesterday, 75 before invasion, 140 at worst)
  • Solomon Islands PM: “Articles in Australian outlets encouraging the invasion of Solomon Islands to force a regime change… does nothing to strengthen our bilateral relations. When a helpless mouse is cornered by vicious cats… it will do anything to survive.”
  • Russian crude oil continues to flow to India and China, and Russia continues to make large profit on oil despite the sanctions that some western countries will implement.
  • Russia will unveil its gas ruble payment plans, but promises a “gradual” shift with the contracts maintaining their current prices, only in rubles instead of other currencies.
  • Russia also may price more of its exports in rubles, including oil, grain, fertilizer, coal, and metals.
  • An example of the degree of economic turmoil we’re seeing - Intelslava shows that the price of sunflower oil has risen 550% in a month in Germany
  • German Government Adviser Says Inflation May Hit Double Digits. Currently, the annual inflation rate rose to 7.3%, the highest since 1981. Aw yeah, it’s Weimer Republic time. Wait, hang on, what came after that again?
  • Spain’s inflation increases to 9.8%, from 7.6% in February, the fastest rate since 1985.
  • In Australia: “Fupay will become the nation’s first buy now, pay later provider to offer short-term loans for items such as milk, petrol and bread at three major outlets.”
  • In the US: “BlackRock President Rob Kapito told oil and gas executives on Tuesday that “entitled” Americans are about to deal with shortages of food and other goods. “For the first time, this generation is going to go into a store and not be able to get what they want … And we have a very entitled generation that has never had to sacrifice.” When our turn comes, we will not make excuses for the terror.

Diplomatically:

  • Kherson receiving humanitarian aid from Russia
  • Negotiations between the Foreign Ministers of Russia and China begin in China.
  • “Security cooperation between China and Russia and their joint measures to counter hegemony have no borders” - Chinese Foreign Ministry
  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day trip, India’s foreign ministry says.
  • Polish Prime Minister called Russophobia “mainstream”
  • Progressive US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has voiced support for the International Criminal Court’s probe into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
  • Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations about the naval mines that have been set adrift in the Black Sea.
  • Ukraine’s president is scheduled to address Australia’s parliament on Thursday evening.
  • The US Department of State has issued a travel advisory warning that Moscow “may single out and detain US citizens in Russia” and repeating earlier warnings for Americans not to travel to the country.
  • Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi will talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Wednesday, Draghi’s office has said, without providing further details.
  • Iraq says that it wants to strengthen ties with Russia.
  • Russia intends to increase its partnership with Iran in all areas, Lavrov said.
  • China says that China & Russia now plan to develop cooperation in all areas as confidence grows stronger and firmer between the two.
  • Lavrov also meets with the foreign ministers of Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Qatar, and, of course, China.
  • This will be followed by a meeting between China’s foreign minister and those of the Philippines, Myanmar, and Panama.
  • Putin has signed a decree banning state institutions from using foreign software in critical information infrastructure from 2025.
  • South Ossetia will soon take legal steps to join Russia. “I believe that unification with Russia is our strategic goal” - President Bibilov. South Ossetia is a breakaway state in Georgia that borders Russia, if you weren’t previously aware.
  • Russia reports that the Ossetian people will need to do a referendum first, but otherwise, they can join Russia.

Militarily:

  • The General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces says that the “withdrawal” of Russian troops around Kiev and Chernigov is actually just a rotation of troops and was designed to mislead Ukraine.Biden saying the same thing. Of course, this being phrased as a broken promise about “helping the peace discussions” as a good faith gesture rather than just a military manuevre, so it allows them to maintain the “those crafty dupliticious Russians!” narrative. Feint attacks within feint attacks. Putin did a similar thing in Syria so it’s not unimaginable. It makes sense to me, though - there’s no reason why Russia should display its battle plans to the world - they could have just said nothing at all and kept the military meetings private - so the reason why they’re doing so is because they know it’ll be responded to by the Ukrainian military (and other countries) and they can then plan for that reaction. The fact that we know anything at all about “Phase 1” or “Phase 2” is itself telling, before you even get the content of the plans.
  • Large explosions in Kiev and the vicinity. Note: it’s been increasingly difficult to get photos and footage out of Ukraine because the government banned filming Russian strikes. So what we do get is, for the most part, too blurry to draw any conclusions other than “shit’s on fire”
  • Large explosions and shelling in Kharkov.
  • Fuel depot destroyed in Khmelnytskyi, as well as industrial buildings.
  • Oleksandr Markushyn, the mayor of Irpin, a Kyiv suburb that Ukrainian forces claimed control of on Monday, has told residents of the area not to return just yet. “Do not come back yet. The city is still not safe. We still hear gunshots and shelling, Grads [multiple rocket launchers] are even still being deployed”
  • Russian shelling most if not all the Ukrainian cities on/close to the DPR/Ukraine front.
  • DPR continues to clean up the western side of Mariupol.
  • Ukrainian missile hits Donetsk city nine-story building, losses don’t look particularly severe
  • More footage of Russian missiles hitting Ukraine and such, there’s been a lot of this over the last few… well, weeks, I guess. They aren’t geolocated so they could be anywhere, on the front or away from it.
  • Footage of a Nazi from the Aidar battalion asking for forgiveness before the civilians of Donbass, whom they terrorized for more than 8 years.
  • LPR forces capture Terny in the DPR
  • Ukrainians using synagogues as weapon and ammo stores
  • Russian forces capture an American Humvee used by Ukraine
  • Ukrainian armed forces are (according to Russian sources, but the Ukrainian sources sure as hell aren’t gonna admit this so believe what you want) getting extremely concerned about their troop desertions, and that caught deserters will be shot.
  • Videos of Russian military equipment moving through Kherson. Perhaps going towards Mykolaiv?
  • “Most of the Bandera gang is hiding in residential areas. The militants who have settled in apartments are in an extremely deplorable state. They are trying, hiding behind civilians, to delay the inevitable end.” - Kadyrov, on Mariupol.
  • The head of the police in the Kalmiussky district of Mariupol switched sides and is helping the DPR identify Nazis.
  • DPR says that 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers could still be in Mariupol - out of the 14,500 there at the start. Deserted vs wounded vs dead unknown, but as Mariupol is completely encircled, there is little hope of decent aid for wounded Ukrainians. Catastrophic losses - remember that Russia reported 30,000 casualties for the Ukrainian forces so far in the invasion. This is an extra 10,000.
  • “Offensive operation in Donbass is intensifying in different directions” - Head of the DPR, Pushilin,
  • Russia reports on breaking through to the outskirts of the village of Velikaya Novoselka. This, and the region surrounding it, is a very well fortified Ukrainian position. A breakthrough here is significant, if maintained. The settlement itself is an important transport hub.
  • “Russia has not given up trying to capture or encircle Kyiv and Chernihiv” - Ukrainian Defense Ministry
  • “The Russian Armed Forces have taken under control all the main lines of communication, supply, and approach of the Ukrainian army reserves.” - Russian Ministry of Defence.
  • Russian missile hits “a target” in Dnipro, says the mayor. The mayor did not say what was hit due to reasons of secrecy.

Dipshittery:

  • Samsung is reported to have removed the letter “Z” from the names of its smartphones in some European countries. Folding screen smartphones no longer have the “Z” that has been the brand name of the series since the launch in 2020. For example, Galaxy Z Fold3 is now simply called Galaxy Fold3. The same goes for the Galaxy Flip3.
  • Ukraine’s UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya has told the UN Security Council that the “demilitarisation of Russia is well under way” due to “unprecedented” personnel and equipment losses.
  • Azov Battalion: “We are patriots - we’re fighting the real Nazis of the 21st century.” Piece by Catherine Philips: “Catherine Philips finds an elite battalion challenging its far-right reputation.” Nazis are continuing to be rehabilitated. The hunt to find a single Azov member without a Nazi symbol on him to show the world begins - I fear it’s in vain.
  • WaPo: “To some observers who’ve closely tracked the conflict in Ukraine, Russian forces, despite their military superiority, have exhibited a breathtaking degree of amateurism.”
  • WaPo Opinion: “The CIA funded a culture war against communism. It should do so again.” Yeah, thank god the anti-communism stopped between 1990 and 2020.
  • Hunter Biden continues to be involved in random places that are now becoming very important, as per WaPo: “A Post review of Hunter Biden’s deals with a Chinese energy company confirms key details and offers new documentation "
  • The Bellingcat disinformation failure: “Within a few hours it was denied by the U.S., Russia, Ukraine and by the fact that Abramovich himself was fine attending the peace talks in Turkey.”