Sitrep for March 10–11:

– The main news of the past week: Bakhmut is still under the control of Ukrainian forces;
– The pro-Kremlin media outlet URА.RU reports that a large-scale information campaign is being prepared in Russia to recruit contract soldiers into the army.

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-10-11

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 10–11:

Deaths of 1456 Russian draftees are confirmed; no additional measures are planned under the “partial” mobilization campaign, BBC tells about Russian mobilized soldiers under the command of the "DPR" and "LPR".

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-10-11

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 11–12:

Russia's Ministry of Defense shows videos in which mobilized soldiers talk about a high level of training and a good attitude of commanders, while in reality they continue to complain about being transferred to assault units in the "DPR" and "LPR”.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-11-12

Sitrep for March 11–13:

– Syrskyi: holding Bakhmut is necessary to buy time for the coming counter-offensive;
– Ukrainian soldiers report that RU forces are moving civilians out of occupied areas of Bakhmut;
– New Russian precision-guided munition “Grom.”

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-11-13

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 12–13:

A bill to increase the conscription age was introduced in the State Duma; the directive of the General Staff on draft deferral for fathers of three or more children is advisory, not mandatory; forests were cut down in Moscow to deploy air defense.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-12-13

Sitrep for March 13–14:

– In Bakhmut main urban fighting is going on in the north, in the industrial zone;
– Yet another unsuccessful attack of Switchblade 300;
– Mobilized publish so many video messages that media get confused and publish old videos as new.

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-13-14

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 13–14:

The State Duma has finally adopted a bill on prosecution of those “discrediting” volunteer fighters; Russian draft offices are launching a new recruitment campaign to attract volunteer fighters for the war; draft offices of the Voronezh region hand over draft notices to residents for updating data.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-13-14

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 14–15:

Draft notices have begun to be distributed in many regions; Peskov says that the distribution of draft notices is a common practice; the State Duma has passed in the first reading a bill on the right of commanders to impose disciplinary arrest without a court decision.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-14-15

Sitrep for March 14–16:

– The AFU shot down a Sukhoi Su-24 bomber, apparently belonging to the Wagner Group
– Russian lawyer and human rights activist Pavel Chikov reports that the situation has changed, and in 43 regions of Russia, men have begun to be summoned to military commissariats en masse;
– Sweden would give ten Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-14-16

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 15–16:

Reservists are being summoned to draft offices in 43 regions of Russia; mobilization continues in Buryatia — a new group of mobilized soldiers is sent to the war; students of Penza State University will receive draft notices along with their diplomas

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-15-16

Sitrep for March 16–17:

– The AFU managed to relatively stabilize the frontline around Bakhmut;
– Russian soldier who admitted to killing a civilian in Ukraine and looting received a 5.5-year suspended sentence for spreading "fake news" about the Army.

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-16-17

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 16–17:

The deaths of 1583 draftees have been confirmed, first mobilized soldiers went on their first leaves, children from 16 regions will be sent to military, patriotic and historical training this spring and summer.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-16-17

Sitrep for March 17–18:

– Over the past week, everything was relatively quiet at the front without significant advances;
– Over the past day, the RuAF launched another massive attack with loitering munitions on the territory of Ukraine;
– Russia had withdrawn some of its forces from Belarus.

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-17-18

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 17–18:

Federal authorities assigned regional administrations to recruit more volunteers for the war with Ukraine; beginning Mar. 20, mass agitation in the Moscow region will call men to enlist under a contract; Putin signed a law criminalizing the "discrediting" of mercenaries.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-17-18

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 18–19:

Yekaterinburg Mayor asked to congratulate him on his birthday by sending money to the hospital for the wounded in the war; a direct mail campaign encourages citizens to enlist for contract-based military service with the RuAF; prayer-inscribed armored plates were sent to the war.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-18-19

Sitrep for March 18–20:

– The situation in Bakhmut remains extremely dangerous for the AFU;
– Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka were allegedly hit with a BM-27 Uragan MLRS;
– Prigozhin said the Wagner Group would recruit another 30,000 fighters by mid-May.

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-18-20

Volunteer Mobilization brief March 19–20:

Graduates when receiving diplomas are forced to sign draft notices; in Tyumen, free classes in a fitness center are held for the soldiers who returned from the “special military operation”; a mobilized man was sentenced to 5 years in prison for leaving a military unit.

https://notes.citeam.org/mobi-mar-19-20

Sitrep for March 20–21:

– Prigozhin asked the Russian MoD for help in the Bakhmut direction;
– Some experts note that the situation around Avdiivka is similar to the one around Bakhmut;
– EU member states agreed to supply Ukraine with 1 million 155mm artillery rounds over the next year.

https://notes.citeam.org/dispatch-mar-20-21

Landsman with a Naval Head: Why Has Russia Mounted Anti-Aircraft Guns on MT-LBs

The recent photographs of MT-LB with naval anti-aircraft guns have so far become only a source of memes. We decided to figure out why such hybrids are made.

https://notes.citeam.org/tankenstein

From Hibernation to Humiliation? Russia Brings T-54 Tanks Out of Retirement

Tank modelers, rejoice: we have obtained exclusive photos of outdated (mid-20th century) T-54/55 tanks hauled on a train westwards from strategic storage in Russia's Far East. We assume it may indicate armor supply issues in the Russian Army

http://notes.citeam.org/t-54?s=1