Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 375

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 375th day, we take a look at the main developments.

Here is the situation as it stands on Sunday, March 5, 2023:

Fighting

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu paid a rare visit to Russia’s forces deployed in Ukraine, his ministry said.
Russian artillery pounded the last routes out of Bakhmut, aiming to completely encircle the besieged Ukrainian city and score Moscow’s first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, said in a published video that Bakhmut was “practically surrounded” by his forces and Kyiv’s forces had only one road out left.
Prigozhin published a video showing what he said were coffins containing bodies of Ukrainian soldiers being repatriated to territory held by Kyiv.

German defence contractor Rheinmetall is in negotiations about building a tank factory in Ukraine, the newspaper Rheinische Post reported, citing an interview with CEO Armin Papperger.
In addition to Leopard 2 tanks, German armaments company Rheinmetall wants to buy 96 Leopard 1 tanks from Swiss defence firm Ruag to send to Ukraine, the Swiss newspaper Tages- Anzeiger reported.
The United States’s newly announced $400m military aid package for Ukraine primarily comprises ammunition, but for the first time, it will also include tactical bridges to move tanks and armoured vehicles.
US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to keep imposing costs on Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused the US of hypocrisy after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia cannot be allowed to wage war in Ukraine with impunity.

Russia’s ruptured undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines are set to be sealed up and mothballed, sources told Reuters.

Source: News Agencies