War
An American amphibious assault ship heading for the Middle East is already off the coast of Singapore
The US Navy warship USS Tripoli, which, according to sources, is carrying marines, is approaching the Singapore area en route to the Middle East. The vessel’s movements have been tracked using maritime tracking systems.
Oil prices surged following Iran’s attacks on the Middle East’s energy infrastructure
Global oil prices rose sharply on 19 March after Iran attacked energy facilities in the Middle East in response to a strike on the South Pars gas field. At its peak, Brent rose by more than $5 a barrel, with the market pricing in the risk of prolonged disruptions to energy supplies.
US intelligence believes missile strikes on the country’s territory are a possibility
The US intelligence community assesses that other states are developing weapons systems capable of striking the United States. This includes both nuclear and conventional missiles.
The Pentagon is requesting over $200 billion to fund the war with Iran
The US Department of Defence has asked the White House to approve a request to Congress for over $200 billion to fund the war with Iran. Some members of the administration doubt that this request will receive support from lawmakers.
Ukrainian forces have struck the Russian electronic warfare station ‘Zhitiel’ in the Zaporizhzhia region
Operators of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Unit have struck a Russian R-330Zh ‘Zhitiel’ electronic warfare station. The strike took place in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The strike on Zaporizhzhia has left tens of thousands of people without power: one person has been seriously injured
Following the Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia’s infrastructure, over 38,000 domestic customers and around 2,000 business customers were left without power. According to Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, one person was seriously injured, and power engineers have already restored electricity to most customers.
France has named its new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Free France".
French President Emmanuel Macron has officially announced the name of France’s future next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The vessel, previously known as the Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération programme, will be named “Free France”.
Overnight, Russia launched strikes on Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv and Sumy regions
During the night of 19 March and over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have attacked several regions of Ukraine. The attacks have resulted in casualties and injuries, as well as damage to residential buildings, infrastructure and transport.
Over the past 24 hours, 215 combat engagements were recorded on the front line
Since the start of the day, there have been 215 combat engagements on the front line. Russian forces have carried out dozens of air strikes and thousands of artillery attacks on Ukrainian positions and populated areas.
Russian forces have lost a further 1,520 troops over the past 24 hours
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian army’s losses have reached approximately 1,284,090 personnel. Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have eliminated a further 1,520 invaders.
A Russian drone damaged the SBU building in Lviv
In Lviv, damage has been reported to the building housing the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Lviv region following an attack by a Russian drone. According to preliminary reports, there are no casualties.
Egypt is imposing electricity restrictions due to an energy crisis amid the conflict surrounding Iran
From 28 March, Egypt is introducing strict energy-saving measures due to a sharp rise in the cost of imported fuel against the backdrop of the conflict surrounding Iran. The authorities are reducing the opening hours of shops and restaurants, will switch off advertising lights, reduce street lighting and are considering a partial shift to remote working.
