What happened in Rubizhne and Wellington on 17 March 2022?
A look back at two developments from 17 March 2022: a seizure of government buildings in eastern Ukraine and new sanctions from New Zealand.
What was happening on the margins of the war in Ukraine on 17 March 2022? Two reports from that day point to events on the ground and in sanctions policy.
In the eastern town of Rubizhne, Russian-backed militants from the self-proclaimed "Luhansk People's Republic" took control of government buildings, as reported at the time.
Far from the front line, New Zealand widened its measures against Russia on the same date. It added 364 Russian political and military targets to the list of people banned from entering the country. It also added 13 individuals and 19 entities to its sanctions list, which includes asset freezes. Among those named were Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Taken together, the reports from 17 March 2022 show pressure on Russia being extended through sanctions, while armed groups backed by Russia consolidated control over local administrative buildings in Rubizhne.
