Russia's military aggression against Ukraine continues.
Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues across Ukraine, forcing thousands of civilians to flee the country.
We will keep you updated on developments regarding the situation in Ukraine on the 19th (Japan time), including the situation of the fighting and the diplomacy of the countries concerned.
(There is a time difference of 6 hours between Japan and Ukraine and Moscow, Russia)
Russian Defense Ministry deploys hypersonic missile-equipped fighters to western bases
On the 18th, the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed three MiG-31 fighter jets equipped with the latest hypersonic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the Kinzhal, to a base in Kaliningrad, an enclave in western Russia surrounded by Poland and Lithuania. announced that it had been deployed.
According to Russian media, the "Kinzhar" flies at speeds of up to Mach 10 and has a range of 2,000 kilometers, and the Defense Ministry says it will be on duty 24 hours a day "as part of its strategic deterrence". .
A Russian Air Force commander said on March 12 that Kinzhal-powered MiG-31 fighters destroyed military ammunition depots in western Ukraine in March, and will appeal for deployment to Kaliningrad. It seems that there is an aim to check the United States and NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
On the other hand, the Finnish Ministry of Defense, which is close to Kaliningrad and is aiming to join NATO, has announced on the 18th that it is suspected that two Russian fighter planes have violated its airspace, and is increasing its vigilance.
Families of Russian prisoners of war protest for international aid
In Lviv, the western part of Ukraine, where UN Secretary-General Guterres is visiting, on the 18th, the families of soldiers taken prisoner by the Russian army held a demonstration appealing for their release and asked for the support of the international community.
About 50 family members of the "Azov Battalion", who had been fighting at a steel mill in Mariupol in the eastern part of the country, where the fighting had become fierce, participated in the demonstration. I want them to be actively involved in the process of releasing prisoners of war."
They held messages like "Give back the children" and shouted "Protect the heroes" and "Glory to Ukraine".
A 21-year-old woman whose brother is a prisoner said, "I want the world to take an interest so that her family can go home."
A 5-year-old girl whose father was a prisoner said, "I want to go to the sea with my father when he comes back."
Concerning Ukrainian POWs, an attack on a prisoner-of-war camp managed by Russia in the eastern Donetsk region last month killed more than 50 people, prompting growing calls from the international community to hold Russia accountable. rice field.