What did 23 March 2023 follow in Ukraine's war?
A look back at the reported strikes on civilians and the British shell announcement that preceded 23 March 2023.
What did Ukraine's public life look like on 23 March 2023? It came after days marked by attacks on civilians and a dispute over Western military aid.
On 22 March 2023, a Russian drone strike in Rzhyshchiv killed at least nine civilians and injured 29 others. The same day, a Russian missile struck an apartment building in the city of Zaporizhzhia, killing one civilian and injuring 25.
The Zaporizhzhia strike was not the first on a residential building there. Earlier, on 9 October 2022, a Russian missile attack killed at least 13 people and injured more than 89 others.
A dispute over shells
On 21 March 2023, the United Kingdom confirmed that it would provide Ukraine with depleted uranium armour-piercing shells, to be supplied alongside its Challenger 2 main battle tanks. London said there was a "low risk" of radiation contamination. Russian president Vladimir Putin said Russia would be "forced to react" to the British move.
Taken together, these reports show the two pressures on Ukraine in the days before 23 March 2023: continuing strikes on civilian areas and an international argument over the weapons used to defend against Russia's invasion.
