Key developments on March 25: * Black Sea ceasefire will take effect after some sanctions are lifted, Kremlin claims * Kremlin names energy facilities exempt from strikes during partial ceasefire * Ukrainian airstrike kills up to 30 Russian soldiers in Kursk Oblast, military claims * Russia seeks full control of partially occupied Ukrainian regions
Ukraine's Air Force struck a concentration of Russian military personnel in Kondratovka, Kursk Oblast, killing up to 30 Russian soldiers.
"I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House team through information," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Their signal to the Americans was that the Ukrainians do not want to end the war, and something should be done to force them."
Russian media claimed that Ukrainian forces had struck the key gas transit facility, which plays a crucial role in Russian gas exports to Europe.
Explosions occurred at the Sudzha gas metering station in Russia's Kursk Oblast on the night of March 21, followed by a large fire, Russian media and Telegram channels reported.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia used the command post to plan and conduct combat operations against Ukrainian soldiers in Sumy Oblast.
According to sources who spoke with Reuters, U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, briefed the White House, saying that while Ukrainian troops are facing intense pressure from Russian forces, they are not encircled.
On March 18, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had stopped a significant Ukrainian ground assault from entering Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, a claim that Ukraine swiftly denied as a propaganda effort.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on March 17 that he took an unspecified action to save "surrounded" Ukrainian soldiers, apparently referring to his earlier and unsubstantiated claims of Kyiv's troops being encircled in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha discussed the potential transfer of two North Korean POWs in a phone call.
Key developments on March 15-16: * Ukraine confirms withdrawal from Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast * Ukraine appoints Andrii Hnatov as new chief of General Staff * Russia readying to attack Sumy as Donbas front stabilizes, Zelensky says * Trump-Putin phone call expected this week, US hopes for ceasefire within weeks, envoy says * UK
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur covers the top stories impacting Ukraine this week. First in everyone’s concerns is the ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the latest developments in Ukraine’s Kursk operation.
Without confirming the withdrawal with a statement, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces posted the latest battlefield maps on social media, which showed a complete retreat from Sudzha.
Key developments on March 14: * Kyiv says Ukrainian troops 'regrouped' in Kursk Oblast, deny encirclement * Ukrainian drones strike Russian gas facilities, missile depot, source claims * Ukrainian drones strike Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, governor says * Putin still seeks control over Ukraine despite US peace efforts, WP reports * Ukraine,
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 14 that Ukrainian soldiers must surrender in Kursk Oblast after U.S. President Donald Trump's request to "spare" the troops he claimed are surrounded. Ukraine denied claims that the country's troops are surrounded at any part of the front.
The General Staff said that Russia had been reporting an alleged encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast "for political purposes and to put pressure on Ukraine and its partners."
Key developments on March 13: * 'Russia needs war,' Zelensky says in response to Putin's preconditions for ceasefire * Russia claims to retake Sudzha; Ukraine hasn't confirmed * Ukrainian drones strike covert UAV plant in western Russia, sources claim * Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant part of peace talks, Trump says Russian President Vladimir
Russian forces have retaken Sudzha, a key stronghold of Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 13.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets referred to a video circulating on social media that purportedly shows unarmed Ukrainian soldiers killed after being captured by Russian troops.
Key developments on March 12: * Ukraine says it's ready to fight in Kursk Oblast 'as long as necessary,' as Russia claims to retake over 86% of seized territories * Ukraine doesn't trust Russia but wants to show readiness for peace, Zelensky says on ceasefire deal * Ukraine-US talks in Jeddah concerned
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed ongoing battles in the suburbs of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast and the surrounding areas.
Ukraine’s retreat from Kursk Oblast appears more likely as the latest news shows Russia taking ground amid intense attacks to drive Ukraine out, experts and soldiers say. Retaking Ukrainian-held territory in Kursk Oblast could leave Kyiv without its hard-fought bargaining chip before potential negotiations with Russia. In recent days,
As Russian troops are set to push Ukrainian soldiers out of Kursk Oblast, experts say Kyiv's withdrawal from the region could be "politically significant." Ukraine's seven-month-long hold of a small portion of Russia's Kursk Oblast might be ending. On March 12, Russian troops entered the town of Sudzha, which served
“The military command is doing what it should do, preserving the maximum lives of our soldiers,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said, urging a “sober” assessment of the battlefield situation.
"I'm guessing, but I don't want to talk about it yet," Major General Dmytro Krasylnykov said when asked about the possible reasons for his removal.
According to DeepState, Russian forces have entered the eastern part of Sudzha and are entrenching their positions.
Key developments on March 11: * Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire if Russia abides by it, Kyiv says * US to 'immediately' resume security assistance, intelligence sharing to Ukraine * Ukraine targets Russian oil facilities in Moscow, Oryol oblasts in mass strike overnight, military claims * Putin unwilling to compromise on Ukraine, sets maximalist
Russian forces have recaptured 12 settlements and 100 square kilometers in Kursk Oblast previously held by Ukrainian troops, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 11.
Key developments on March 10: * No threat of encirclement for Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Russia attempting to gain foothold in Sumy Oblast, Border Guard warns * Ukraine strikes Samara Oblast refinery producing fuel for Russian fighter jets, bombers, source claims * Ukraine to propose ceasefire at sea, in
Russian forces have made a breakthrough south of the Ukrainian-held town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast, potentially threatening to cut off some of the Ukrainian positions in the Russian region.
"These are small assault units, composed of a few people. They try to penetrate our territory, accumulate forces and advance further into Ukraine, probably to cut off logistical routes," State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on national television.
Key developments on March 8-9: * Trump won't resume Ukraine military aid after signing minerals deal, NBC News reports * Ukraine releases video of Russian attack via gas pipeline in Kursk Oblast * Ukrainian drone reportedly attacks oil depot in Russia's Chuvashia for first time * France to provide $211 million in military aid
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