Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says war was ‘unleashed’ on Russia

The Russian president delivered his annual Victory Day speech.

ByMorgan Winsor, Nadine El-Bawab, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, Kevin Shalvey, Bill Hutchinson, and Patricio Chile
Last Updated: March 16, 2023, 11:51 AM EDT

More than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the countries are fighting for control of areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's forces are readying a spring counteroffensive, but Putin appears to be preparing for a long and bloody war.

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Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Mar 16, 2023, 11:51 AM EDT

Poland to deliver MiG-29 jets to Ukraine 'in the coming days'

Poland plans to deliver four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine "in the coming days," Polish President Andrzej Duda said at a press conference on Thursday.

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks during an event with President Joe Biden in Warsaw, Poland, Feb. 21, 2023.
Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters

The move will make Poland the first NATO member to supply fighter planes to Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.

The latest news shortens the timeline announced earlier this week by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who had said they might send the Soviet-designed fighter jets to Ukraine in the next four to six weeks.

Mar 16, 2023, 11:08 AM EDT

225 Russians killed in last 24 hours in Bakhmut

Ukrainian forces have killed 225 Russian fighters and injured another 306 in the past 24 hours in the Bakhmut area, according to Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Ukraine army.

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a brutal battle for the city in eastern Ukraine for months, with both sides seeing high rates of casualties.

A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a 105 shell to fire at Russian possitions near Bakhmut, on March 14, 2023.
Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images

Cherevaty said that in the last day, the occupiers in the area of Bakhmut and nearby villages -- including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka and Ivanivskoho -- tried to attack Ukrainian positions 42 times. There were 24 combat clashes in the Bakhmut area alone.

An Ukrainian serviceman attaches a hand grenade on a drone to use in an attack, near Bachmut, in the region of Donbas, on March 15, 2023.
Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images

In total, in the Bakhmut direction, the occupiers shelled Ukrainian positions 256 times with various types of artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, Cherevaty said. Of them, 53 shellings were in the area of Bakhmut itself.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Mar 15, 2023, 12:08 PM EDT

Putin says effort underway to increase weapons production

Russia is working to increase its weapons production amid an "urgent" need, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.

"Prosecutors should supervise the modernization of defense industry enterprises, including building up capacities for the production of an additional volume of weapons. A lot of effort is underway here," Putin said at a meeting of the Collegium of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.

Putin added that the weapons, equipment and ammunition are "urgently" needed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in Moscow on March 15, 2023.
Sputnik via AFP/Getty Images

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Mar 14, 2023, 11:38 AM EDT

Poland may give Ukraine MiG-29 jets in coming weeks

Poland may send Ukraine MiG-29 fighter jets in the next four to six weeks, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Mikoyan MIG-29 fighter jets of the Polish Air Force take part in a NATO shielding exercise at the Lask Air Base, Oct. 12, 2022 in Lask, Poland.
Omar Marques/Getty Images, FILE

Poland has previously said it would consider sending the Soviet-designed fighter jets to Ukraine.

PHOTO: This handout picture released by Ukrainian presidential press service on Feb. 24, 2023, shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki greeting each other after a press conference following talks in Kyiv.
This handout picture taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential press service on Feb. 24, 2023, shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki greeting each other after a joint press conference following their talks in Kyiv.
STR/UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE

When asked during a press briefing Tuesday how long it could take to supply the aircraft, Morawiecki said, "That could happen in the coming 4 to 6 weeks," according to Reuters.

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