RIGHT SPEAK: UKR’s Strikes Aim to Undermine RU's Economy and Cut Petrodollar Flow; UKR’s Impossible Choice: Conceding Territory or Lives; Drone Footage RU Attack Goes Horribly Wrong; LFR Video Destroying RU Army Comms in Belgorod Rgn; 67 Combat Clashes; RU Loses: 840 Sold, 30 Art-Sys, 10 Tanks, LIVE UPDATES and LOTS MORE

Ukraine’s strategic strikes aim to undermine Russia's economy and cut petrodollar flow to war effort:

Recent strikes on Russia’s key oil refineries mark the onset of a fresh strategic chapter in Kyiv’s drive to weaken Russia’s economic might and stem the flow of petrodollars fueling the conflict, sparking discussions across Ukrainian and Western media as well as among expert circles.

At least 12 oil refineries in Russia have been successfully targeted by the Ukraine’s SBU Security Service’s long-range drones, the public broadcaster Suspilne and Reuters reported on March 17, citing the agency’s sources.

According to another Reuters intelligence source, the list is not complete, as it does not include operations by the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), which also carries out drone strikes on Russian refineries.

NV lists the most notable strikes and damage to Russia’s most coveted oil processing facilities, which are considered legitimate military targets in the war.

Russian and international media have reported attacks on the following Russian refineries since the beginning of 2024: --->READ MORE HERE

Illustration: Emil Lendof/WSJ, Family Photos

WSJ: Ukraine’s Impossible Choice: Conceding Territory or Lives:

With military worn down and U.S. aid stalled, leaders confront how to hold off larger and better-equipped Russian army

Russian forces were closing in when Sgt. Ivan Zhytnik made a desperate call to his family from a bunker on the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian defenses in the city of Avdiivka were crumbling and Zhytnik’s brigade had pulled out to avoid being overrun, leaving him and five other soldiers behind.

“Four of us are wounded—seriously wounded—we can’t walk. One can, but barely,” said 31-year-old Zhytnik in the video call on the morning of Feb. 15, adding the sixth man stayed to help them. “All the officers are gone—all of them. They left us at our positions.”

The plight of the men demonstrates the conundrum for Ukrainian leaders this year as they confront mounting Russian offensives with dwindling resources: when to cut their losses.

Ukrainian leaders say every inch of territory is worth fighting for, but their military is worn down after a failed counteroffensive last year and with a much-needed additional aid package stuck in Congress. Russia, with a larger army and a war economy clunking into gear, is pressing forward against its smaller neighbor.

That leaves Ukraine facing a year on the defensive, picking its battles in an effort to limit territorial losses while outlasting the Russian army. Kyiv needs to buy time to rebuild its own forces with the aim of retaking some of the roughly 20% of its territory occupied by Russia.

It is a delicate calculus that requires weighing precious land against scarce resources, including lives—and morale.

At first Zhytnik hoped for rescue. Then he counted on mercy. In the last of several video calls recorded by his relatives, he turned to exchange words with someone off camera.

“Are they there?” asked his brother-in-law, Dmytro Shubin.

“Yes,” Zhytnik responded.

The Russians had arrived.

Zenit

As Ukraine’s counteroffensive stalled last fall, Russia seized the initiative and launched massed assaults on Avdiivka. The target, a small industrial city, revealed the shrunken reach of Russia’s invasion, which began in February 2022 with a failed attempt to seize Ukraine’s capital and overthrow its government.

Ukraine blunted Russia’s initial thrusts on Avdiivka, destroying dozens of armored vehicles and killing hundreds. But the relentlessness of Moscow’s assaults demonstrated a resolve to press on regardless in an effort to grind Ukraine into submission. --->READ MORE HERE