Kyiv makes unexpected progress in Luhansk campaign

The Ukrainian army announced on March 23 that it had taken control of a town in Luhansk province. Meanwhile, at the diplomatic table, the US delegation will have high-level dialogue with Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine takes control of town in Luhansk after 3 years

Soldiers of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade announced on March 23 that they had taken control of the Nadiya settlement in Luhansk province. This was surprising news because unlike the neighboring Donetsk province, which has many hot spots of fighting between Russia and Ukraine, most of Luhansk is believed to be under the control of the Russian army.

In December 2024, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) analyzed that Russia controlled about 99% of Luhansk territory and 66% of Donetsk.

Ukrainian infantry unit supported by armor attacked the settlement of Nadiya

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT OF FACEBOOK 3RD ASSAULT BRIGADE UKRAINE

In the latest development, Ukraine on March 23 posted a video showing the attacking unit using armored vehicles to approach Nadiya, providing fire support for infantry. Russia had controlled this settlement in March 2022. The Ukrainian army regained control in October 2022 but was pushed back by Russia shortly after. According to The Telegraph , this is the first town that Ukraine has taken control of in Luhansk after more than 3 years of fighting.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on March 23 that the military had taken control of the Sribnoye settlement in Donetsk province. Moscow also said it had shot down 59 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting various regions in Russia. “Russian forces have attacked the infrastructure of Ukrainian military airports and ammunition depots in 135 districts over the past 24 hours. During the same period, Russian air defenses shot down a MiG-29 fighter jet of the Ukrainian Air Force,” according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry.

Huge gas station fire, Russia, Ukraine accuse each other

Meanwhile, Ukraine on March 23 accused Russia of attacking the capital Kyiv, killing at least three people. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there had been a fierce UAV attack on the capital, causing damage and fires in several buildings. The Ukrainian military claimed to have shot down 97 of 147 UAVs from Russian forces.

Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a fire in Kyiv on March 23.

Russia and Ukraine have not commented on their rivals’ claims. The attacks come ahead of talks on the Ukraine conflict in Saudi Arabia.

What did the parties say ahead of the dialogue in Saudi Arabia?

Before the US delegation had two separate meetings with representatives of Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia on March 23-24 to discuss the conflict situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his partners to put more pressure on Russia to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Zelensky said that in the past week alone, Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 1,500 guided bombs, nearly 1,100 UAVs, and 15 missiles of various types. “These weapons have at least 102,000 components from abroad. That is why sanctions against Russia need to be more effective. All loopholes that allow Russia to evade sanctions must be closed,” Zelensky said.

Trump says Ukraine-Russia are negotiating territory division, ceasefire imminent

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the upcoming negotiations would be difficult. “We are only at the initial stage. There are still many problems with how to implement the ceasefire,” Peskov said. Previously, Russia rejected the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and only agreed to stop attacks on energy infrastructure.

Peskov added that the main content of the talks with the US on March 24 will include the restoration of the grain agreement, which will ensure Ukraine's safe grain exports across the Black Sea. Russia withdrew from the grain agreement in 2023, accusing the West of not following through on its commitment to ease sanctions.

From left, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin official also left open the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump may have had more than two publicly disclosed phone calls.

On the US side, special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism ahead of the summit in Saudi Arabia. "I think you'll see some real progress, especially as it affects the ceasefire in the Black Sea for ships from both countries, and then a full ceasefire," he said.

Mr Witkoff also said that Russian President Putin is a man who wants peace. “I don’t see him wanting all of Europe. The context today is very different from World War II,” he added.

US hopes for ceasefire before Easter

Bloomberg reported that US officials want Russia and Ukraine to reach a ceasefire agreement before Easter this year, on April 20. However, US officials also admitted that the above timeline is difficult to achieve due to the large difference in the situation on the ground between the two sides.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on March 22 that efforts to prevent the conflict from escalating were "somewhat under control", while asserting that he had good relations with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.

US officials say Russia has set preconditions for any talks, including ending its arms support for Ukraine. The US has yet to agree to Russia’s conditions, the sources said.

“We are working toward a ceasefire and a lasting peace. We will not disclose the terms of the discussions or the timeline,” White House spokesman Brian Hughes said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-su-ukraine-ngay-1124-kyiv-bat-ngo-co-buoc-tien-voi-chien-dich-o-luhansk-185250323231952837.htm