Several explosions rang out early on Thursday, March 21, in the center of kyiv, after an air alert for missiles and drones launched by Russia, noted an AFP journalist. Around ten loud explosions were heard, as well as anti-aircraft fire. kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported “rocket debris” fallen in certain districts of the capital, notably on a “residential building”and with “cars on fire”, in a message on Telegram. The last large-scale Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital took place at the end of January. Follow our live stream.
Meeting of European leaders in Brussels. The Twenty-Seven meet Thursday and Friday in the Belgian capital to discuss Western aid to Ukraine in the face of a Russian threat considered increasingly worrying. They must discuss a plan aimed at using the exceptional profits generated by Russian assets frozen in Europe to finance arms purchases in favor of kyiv.
European agreement on Ukrainian agricultural imports suspended. The agreement reached on Wednesday between EU states and the European Parliament to cap certain Ukrainian agricultural imports from June was suspended a few hours after its announcement, due to opposition from several countries, including France. The agreement concerns Ukrainian agricultural products exempt from customs duties, such as eggs, poultry, oats, corn and even honey, but not wheat.
Civilians killed in new bombings in Ukraine and Russia. In the Russian region of Belgorod, near the border, three civilians were killed on Wednesday and four others injured, according to the local governor. Some 70 km away, in Ukraine, at least four people were killed and seven others injured in a Russian strike on Kharkiv, according to the regional governor.