Russia said on Sunday that its forces had struck military facilities across Ukraine, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported downing a large number of Russian drones.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces launched massive strikes on Ukrainian military facilities across 148 regions, including military airports, energy and fuel infrastructure, assembly workshops for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as temporary deployment sites of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and foreign mercenaries.
Russia's air defense forces shot down five guided aerial bombs and 293 fixed-wing drones, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on the same day that the Ukrainian forces targeted two Russian troop and equipment concentration areas and one command post, and shot down more than 2,000 Russian drones.
Russia strikes Ukrainian military facilities, Ukraine downs Russian drones
The Zambian government has declared the current fuel supply situation an emergency amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
On March 31, Zambian Minister of Information and Media Cornelius Mweetwa said in a statement that the cabinet had approved zero-rating of value-added tax and the suspension of excise duty on petrol and diesel imports for a period of three months.
Mweetwa, also the government spokesperson, noted that the government is concerned about the continued conflict in the Middle East, which have disrupted global oil supply chains, resulting in rising international fuel prices and upward pressure on domestic pump prices.
Also on March 31, Zambia's energy regulator announced an upward adjustment in fuel pump prices. Under the new pricing structure, petrol has increased by 2.03 percent, while diesel has risen by 28.09 percent.
Zambian residents have already been feeling the impact. Their ability to travel is curtailed and they are forced to wait in long lines for refueling.
"You have to spend some time on looking for fuel. The war should come to an end, and then fuel supply will flow," said Fredrick Nabuzoka, a local resident.
"My business is down. I cannot move regularly like I used to because of the fuel problem," said Fridah Mbiza, another resident.
Analysts warned that the fuel shortage extends beyond the country, which raises fear and worsens an already precarious energy insecurity.
"The energy insecurity is huge. It's not just for Zambia, it's about 75 percent of other African countries. And for Zambia, the price definitely is also going to swing up, just like other countries. And also, there is another fear, apart from just the price going up. The other fear is the availability factor," said Johnstone Chikwanda, a Zambian energy expert.
The ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and Tehran's retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region have triggered a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas globally because of the reduction of sea traffic through the key oil shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the sea route has sent global oil prices soaring.
Zambia declares fuel supply emergency amid Middle East tensions
