Latest Developments in Ukraine: March 22

For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in Russia's war on Ukraine. All times EDT. 5:30 a.m.: Reuters reported that Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Wednesday there was no nuclear escalation in the Ukraine war, speaking after Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned London's plan to supply Ukraine with ammunition containing depleted uranium.  Britain had on Monday confirmed it was supplying Ukraine with that type of ammunition, which is used in weapons because it can penetrate tanks and armour more easily due to its density and other physical properties.  "There is no nuclear escalation. The only country in the world that is talking about nuclear issues is Russia. There is no threat to Russia, this is purely about helping Ukraine defend itself," Cleverly said.  4:40 a.m.: 3:45 a.m.: The United States has offered to sell Slovakia 12 new Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters at a two-thirds discount after Bratislava sent its retired MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Reuters reported Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad as saying on Wednesday. Nad said his government still had to approve the deal under which it would pay $340 million for a package worth more than $1 billion. The deal was offered under the U.S. Foreign Military Financing program, Nad said in his post on Facebook. 3:15 a.m.: Three people were killed and another seven wounded in overnight Russian drone strikes on the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday morning, according to Reuters. The Kyiv Regional Military administration reported on its Telegram channel that a "civilian object" had been damaged and that rescuers were still working at the scene. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 16 out of 21 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched at Ukraine overnight by Russia. 2:35 a.m.: 2 a.m.: The Russian navy "repelled" a drone attack on the port of Sevastopol in Moscow-annexed Crimea early on Wednesday, Agence France-Presse cited the Kremlin-backed governor of the city as saying. "The Black Sea Fleet repelled a surface drone attack on Sevastopol," Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-backed head of Sevastopol, wrote on Telegram. "They tried to penetrate our bay, our sailors fired at them from small arms. Air defence was also working." 12:45 a.m.: 12:01 a.m.: Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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