On the night of March 20, the Russian army attacked the Zaporizhia region: there are dead and wounded; the Ukrainian delegation is on its way to the US, the meeting is expected on February 21; a criminal case has been opened against MP Maryana Bezuglaya; Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine and the Gulf countries can help each other; the government allocated 7.7 billion hryvnias for housing programs for displaced people — Suspilne collected the main news on the morning of March 20.
Shelling of Zaporizhia district
On the night of March 20, Russian troops attacked the Zaporizhia region. As a result of the shelling, private houses were damaged, one person was killed, and two were injured. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov.
“At night, the Russians attacked the Zaporizhia district. They struck two times, destroying private houses,” Fedorov wrote.
According to him, a 30-year-old woman died, and a 48-year-old man and a 10-year-old boy were injured.
Ukrainian delegation leaves for the USA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian representatives have left for the United States, where a meeting with American representatives is expected on March 21 regarding negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine. The president announced this during an address on March 19.
“The negotiation pause has been – it's time to end it. And we are doing everything to ensure that the negotiations are truly meaningful. The Ukrainian team – namely the political part of the negotiating group – is already on its way. We expect a meeting in the United States of America this Saturday,” the president said.
Zelensky said that “there are signals from the American side” about the readiness to continue work in the existing formats of negotiations to end the war. He said that Ukraine will be represented at the talks by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Umerov, the Head of the Presidential Office Budanov, the leader of the “Servant of the People” faction Arakhamia, and the Deputy Head of the Ukrainian People's Party Kyslytsia.
Context: The president previously reported that US representatives had suggested a location in America for the next negotiations.
Criminal proceedings have been opened against Bezuglaya
The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating possible criminal offenses by non-partisan MP Maryana Bezugla. MP Serhiy Taruta claims that the case was opened based on his statement of treason. He wrote about this on Facebook on March 17. Later, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General's Office confirmed the existence of the proceedings.
According to Taruta, he, together with People's Deputy Venislavsky, sent an appeal about Bezugla's alleged treason under martial law. The Pechersk court ordered the Prosecutor General's Office to open proceedings. Taruta claimed that after Bezugla's statements about the 72nd brigade, which at that time held Vugledar, the planned rotation was disrupted and defensive positions were lost.
SBI Communications Advisor Sapian confirmed that the SBI is conducting joint criminal proceedings on four offenses: high treason under martial law, disclosure of state secrets, disclosure of military information constituting a state secret, and interference in the activities of a state figure.
On March 19, Bezugla wrote on Telegram that she “should not be scared,” and stated that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, was “trying to attack” her through the hands of “the people's deputy and friend of Taruta.”
Ukraine and Gulf countries can help each other — Zelensky
The President reported that Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov held meetings with representatives of the Gulf countries. He noted that there is an understanding on how Ukraine and the Gulf countries can help each other in the security sphere. Zelensky reported this in a March 19 address.
“There is an understanding of what new security agreements can be with countries in this region. There are specific things they can support us, Ukraine, support our defense – primarily air defense – and there are things we can support them in, and we already support them. Ukrainian expert groups for protection against “shaheeds” are already in the relevant countries and there are daily reports on their task performance,” the president said.
Zelensky noted that cooperation should provide “real security answers,” including for Europe. He noted that the strikes by “remnants of the Iranian regime” on Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and other countries are “actual strikes on global stability and European energy security.”
Context: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that 201 Ukrainian military experts are currently in the Middle East, and another 34 are ready to be sent to the Gulf region.
The government allocated UAH 7.7 billion for housing programs for displaced people
On Thursday, March 19, the government allocated an additional 7.7 billion hryvnias to finance housing programs for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on Telegram.
According to her, 6.6 billion hryvnias will be allocated to the “eRecovery” program for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories. It is expected that these funds will provide housing for more than 3,300 families with the status of combatants or persons with disabilities as a result of the war.
Svyridenko noted that the state is also providing vouchers worth 2 million hryvnias per person or family whose housing remains on the TOT. They can be used to purchase housing on the primary or secondary market, as well as for a down payment or mortgage repayment on a new building.
In addition, the government has allocated 1.1 billion hryvnias for the construction of social rental housing. It will be provided to Mariupol residents who lost their real estate due to the war. 505 displaced families will be able to receive such housing.