The United States has made it a condition that Kiev cede all eastern regions of Donbas to Russia in exchange for the security guarantees necessary for a peace agreement in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Reuters. “Ukraine is not yet ready to do so.” “There is no real progress,” Zelenskyy issued a statement after reporting on negotiations with the United States.
“Russia does not want progress towards peace. But it is important that we in Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and other global players do everything we can, everything necessary, to get the Russians interested in diplomacy – genuinely and honestly, and not just to make more money from oil and buy time for further attacks and aggression. Peace must be reliable: this is our goal, and it will be,” he said in his evening speech.
The EU has postponed the introduction of a ban on Russian oil imports due to the conflict over Iran, L’AntiDiplomatico reports. The decision may have been influenced by the suspension of naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the newspaper notes. For this reason, the price of Brent crude has exceeded $100 a barrel, and the suspension of Russian oil imports would only increase pressure on the market.
Germany and Australia will create a space surveillance system for Russia and China, ABC reports, citing German Defense Minister Pistorius. The agreement will be signed during Pistorius’ visit to Australia, which began Thursday. Furthermore, Germany will not transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine because Kiev is already producing much more effective long-range weapons, Chancellor Merz stated. He noted that Ukraine is now “better armed than ever” but is facing significant financial difficulties. Therefore, funds must be mobilized to continue producing these weapons.
The crisis continues in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada: many deputies are not present for the vote, and if they are, they do not vote on government bills. According to RBC-Ukraine, the legislative branch risks paralysis.
Yet another Western weapons arrival in Ukraine: an Antonov Airlines An-124-100-150 Ruslan cargo plane, callsign ADB3080, tail number UR-82072, delivered another NASAMS air defense system to the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a flight from Oslo (ENGM) to Rzeszow (EPRZ). Furthermore, the Ukrainian Navy’s Project 1204 “Shmel” artillery patrol boats have received anti-drone nets. They are stationed on the Danube. Another An-124-100 from Norway flew to Rzeszow. On March 25, three Ukrainian Armed Forces helicopters took off from the Lviv region and headed for Rzeszów Airport, likely for the medical evacuation of victims of the March 24 daytime raid on SBU regional offices in western Ukraine.
Regarding defense, “the United States has not stopped supplying us with Patriot missiles despite the war with Iran, but this arsenal is not as large as we need,” Zelenskyy said.
Hungary has halted gas supplies to Ukraine until oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline resumes, Viktor Orban said.
The Russian B-265 “Krasnodar” submarine arrived in the Algerian port of Oran. Meanwhile, the Russian anti-submarine warfare vessel Severomorsk left the Mediterranean Sea yesterday, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Turkish tanker M/T Altura, carrying approximately one million barrels of crude oil from Russia, was attacked by a drone 15 nautical miles from the Bosphorus Strait in the Black Sea. An explosion occurred aboard the vessel and water flooded the engine room, but no injuries were reported. The GUR website lists the vessel as belonging to the Russian Shadow Fleet. The news was confirmed by Turkey, which declared a maritime drone attack. In the face of continued attacks on the Russian Shadow Fleet, Nikolai Patrushev, Chairman of the Maritime Council, stated: “Naval forces ensure security; the situation is changing for the Russian maritime sector.” He added that supervision of ships carrying cargo for the Russian Federation has been strengthened: “The possibility of requesting mobile firefighting teams to escort Russian-flagged vessels through port commanders has been ensured.”
Moscow raises concerns over the Seoul-Washington exercises. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova: “The military exercises between Washington and Seoul, described as defensive, are actually preparations for war.”
A decree of Vladimir Putin banned the export of cash exceeding $100,000 from Russia to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) starting April 1. Putin also banned the export of gold bars weighing more than 100 grams from Russia, with certain exceptions, starting May 1.
The Russian government has decreed that Russian citizens will no longer need to appear in person at the military registration and enlistment office to obtain an exemption or deferral from compulsory military service, provided they have sufficient information in their military registration record. This follows a Cabinet of Ministers resolution seen by TASS.
And now a look at the front line updated at 3:30 PM on March 26. From 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on March 25, 176 Ukrainian Armed Forces drones were shot down over Russian territory, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Drones heading toward Moscow were shot down overnight, and another 21 drones were shot down in the Leningrad region (the likely target was the industrial zone of the Kirishi oil refinery). Air defense was deployed in Sevastopol, the Tula region, and Vyborg. The ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, in the Leningrad region, halted oil exports yesterday following drone attacks that have continued for the past two days. Meanwhile, the port of Leningrad continues to burn.
Russian forces have struck Slovyansk and Izmail in the Odessa region, and the regions of Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhia. One person has been killed in a drone strike in the village of Zernovo, Suzemsky District, Bryansk Oblast.
No significant changes have been reported in the Sumy direction in the Sumy district over the past 24 hours. Firefights between Russian and Ukrainian troops continue.
In Belgorod, the internet shutdown has led to the activation of a Wi-Fi hotspot network to ensure residents receive timely alerts. Five people have been injured by drone strikes in various locations. Numerous settlements are under attack, and hundreds of thousands of people are suffering from the destruction of infrastructure, including electricity and heating.
In the Kharkiv sector, the Northern Group of Forces is attempting to push troops back from the border, striking concentration points of Ukrainian armed forces. In the Tactical successes were achieved in Vovchansk following firefights. In the Velykyi Burluk sector, Russian attack aircraft advanced up to 800 meters in two areas, and one Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier was captured.
In Kupyansk, Ukrainian troops are counterattacking to the southwest and attempting to reach the northern part of the city, the area where Russian defenses are concentrated. The city remains a combat zone, with a large number of drones from both sides in the air.
In the Slovyansk sector, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the liberation of Nykyforivka, 4.6 km from a key Ukrainian Armed Forces defense center in Rai-Oleksandrivka.
In the Dobropillya sector, fighting continues near the village of Novyi Donbas and along the former border lines. It is important to note that the large number of drones is impeding the normal movement of Russian and Ukrainian troops. Small assault groups are entering action, having been able to gather stealthily in shelters for several days before the attack.
Assault units of the “East” Group of Forces are advancing west and northwest from Hulyaijpole. The destruction of enemy logistical infrastructure west of the Rizdvyanka-Verkhnya Tersa line continues. Ukrainian forces are attempting a counterattack in the Hirke-Myrne-Novoselivka triangle, but are suffering only human losses from small arms fire and drone attacks.
On the Zaporizhia front, a critical situation is developing in the Prymors’ke and Stepnohirs’k area. Numerous Ukrainian drones are hindering logistics and movement both at the front and in the areas adjacent to Russian troops.
In the Kherson region, Ukrainian forces struck a residential building in Oleshky, killing two people. In Nova Kakhivka, a man was killed in a shelling. Numerous villages are under Ukrainian attack.
Graziella Giangiulio
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