Victorious news of 768th day of war: Russia's largest machine-building plant is on fire, border guards install Ukrainian flag near Bakhmut

The largest machine-building plant is on fire in Yekaterinburg

On Monday, April 1, one of the country's largest machine-building plants, Uralmash, caught fire in Yekaterinburg, Russia. As a result, the roof collapsed in one of the plant's workshops.

According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the fire area is 4000 square meters. No one was reportedly injured in the fire.

According to eyewitnesses, something first exploded at Uralmash, and then black smoke started pouring out.

Russian Telegram channels say that workshop No.57, which housed about 500 liters of varnish, is on fire. There is no information on the cause of the fire or casualties. The Russian authorities have not yet provided any official comment.

The plant produces, among other things, excavators, drilling equipment, cone crushers, rod and ball mills, etc.

Ukrainian flag near Russian enemy positions

Ukrainian border guards have installed the Ukrainian flag almost above the positions of the Russian invaders near Bakhmut using a drone.

"Border guards have planted the flag of Ukraine almost above the positions of the Russian occupiers. There are still invaders between Kurdyumivka and Ozoryanivka, near Bakhmut," the border guards said, adding that despite this, aerial reconnaissance men of the Revenge brigade of the Offensive Guard raised the Ukrainian flag there.

The head of intelligence of the Phoenix unit, nicknamed Pan, said they had wanted to implement this idea for a long time. According to him, the military had been carefully preparing for this and decided to do it with the help of UAVs, because "we are aerial reconnaissance". 

He says that the preparations lasted two days, including training at a training ground. The time for the installation was chosen when the enemy was least vigilant - at night.

The Ukrainian flag on the water tower bears the symbols of the Phoenix unit.

Russia can no longer export weapons due to sanctions

Sanctions have restricted supplies to the Russian defence industry, which has affected Russia's ability not only to manufacture but also to sell weapons. Radio Liberty writes about this, citing British intelligence. 

"Sanctions are likely to continue to disrupt both supply and demand for Russian arms exports, and to make payment arrangements to Russia much more difficult. This has almost certainly resulted in a significant reduction in Russian arms exports and increased delays in deliveries, including to some of Russia's most important remaining arms buyers," the UK intelligence service said.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia's share of the global arms trade has fallen from 21% (2014-2018) to 11% (2019-2023).

Russian propagandist Simonyan is charged in Ukraine

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) served a notice of suspicion in absentia to propagandist Margarita Simonyan, who spreads Kremlin narratives and called for the mass murder of Ukrainian children last December.

According to the investigation, Simonyan was one of the first to support the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and Russian war crimes.

Her documented crimes include public calls for the mass murder of Ukrainian children in December 2023, repeatedly advocating for the continuation of missile and bomb attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine. The propagandist spreads the Kremlin's narratives on Russian TV channels and through "author's" posts on her Telegram channel.

The SBU also emphasizes the participation of the defendant in a television program by another Russian propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov.

The Security Service reminded that Simonyan had already been notified of suspicion for encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine in March last year.