Victorious news of 391st day of war: half a trillion for defense, destruction of Kalibr missiles in Crimea and exams for obtaining Ukrainian passport

Espreso TV has made a selection of news that brings Ukraine closer to victory every day.

Explosions in Dzhankoi, Crimea

The explosions in Dzhankoi severely damaged the railway station, as well as depots and warehouses, Russian media report.

"Serious damage after the drone attack was recorded at at least five addresses. Four of them belong to the railway station (locomotive depot, station security building, inventory and fuel warehouses), and another is an agricultural store at 51 Perekopskaya Street," the statement said.

At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the explosions on the railway on March 20 in the temporarily occupied city of Dzhankoi on the Crimean peninsula are a signal to the Russian invaders that it is time to leave.

"If you look at the map of the temporarily occupied Crimea, in particular, the railway connection, then (Dzhankoi) is a hub station. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, it was said that the disrupted logistics would affect the enemy's understanding of what to do in Crimea. Now the course is clearly indicated so that there is an understanding that it is almost necessary to leave by rail," said Natalia Humeniuk, head of the press center of the South Operational Command.

She also emphasized that the Russian forces would not admit the destruction of Russian Kalibr cruise missiles during transportation by rail, but would argue that air defense was triggered, because the truth "does not help their image."

According to the General Staff, the aviation of the Defense Forces carried out 5 strikes on the areas of concentration of the invading Russian forces, and Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit an ammunition depot, 2 anti-aircraft missile systems, a radar station and one other important enemy object.

Billions of euros for the Armed Forces and the Ukrainian economy

The Ukrainian parliament has allocated an additional half a trillion for security and defense. Amendments to the state budget provide for an increase in spending by a record 537.2 billion hryvnias, mainly on defense. In total, 325 MPs supported the adoption of draft law No. 9105.

UAH 518 billion will be allocated for the needs of the military, including salaries, food, production and purchase of special equipment. Another UAH 19 billion will be allocated to replenish the State Budget Reserve Fund, which is used for unforeseen and urgent measures.

In addition, Ukraine has received €1.5 billion in macro-financial assistance from the European Union, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

"Our support helps keep Ukraine running, while defending itself. And puts Ukraine firmly on its EU path by supporting reforms – good governance and financial stability, for example. Together we’re writing Ukraine’s European future," von der Leyen wrote.

Ukrainian children return home from Russia

Ukraine managed to return 15 children deported by the Russians. In total, as of today, 308 children have returned to the territory of Ukraine. According to Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, children from Kharkiv and Kherson regions that were occupied at the beginning of the war have been returned to the Ukraine-controlled territory.

If you want citizenship, you need to know Ukrainian language and history

On March 21, the Ukrainian parliament generally supported the introduction of three exams as a condition for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship. The draft law on amendments to the Laws of Ukraine "On Citizenship of Ukraine" and "On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language" regarding the conditions for admission to citizenship of Ukraine (No. 7606), in particular, stipulates that the condition for admission to citizenship will be knowledge of the basics of the Constitution, history and the level of proficiency in the state language.

The exams must be taken within two years of becoming a citizen. In addition, the draft law revises the timeframe for mastering the state language.

Education without Shkarlet

The Ukrainian parliament appointed 50-year-old Oksen Lisovyi as the new Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine. 313 MPs voted in favor. Oksen Lisovyi came to the Ministry of Education and Science from the trenches of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Before his appointment, he was a soldier of the 95th Air Assault Brigade.

He is the director of the Junior Academy of Sciences and holds a PhD in philosophical anthropology and philosophy of culture. In 2012, he was awarded the State Prize of Ukraine in Education for his series of works "All-Ukrainian Educational Internet Portal "Island of Knowledge". After the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he volunteered for the front.