Exclusives
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Russia hit Ukraine's hydropower plant eight days ago — and poisoned a river that flows into Moldova. Moldova's Environment Minister said the oil volume in the Dniester already "significantly exceeds" the initially reported 1.5 tonnes. |
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Two weeks of someone else's war earned Russia more than a month of someone else's sanctions cost it. Zelenskyy says the windfall—compounded by US sanctions relief—gives Putin more room to keep fighting. |
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Zelenskyy calls European pipeline pressure "blackmail"—and a sanctions rollback in disguise. The president says some European leaders are conditioning weapons supplies on Ukraine restoring Russian oil revenues. |
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Mined in, starved out, hunted from above—life in the towns Russia demands at the peace table. In occupied Oleshky, mined roads trap civilians while Russian drone trainees use food queues as practice targets. Residents call it "safari." |
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Security guarantees without NATO: Are they worth the paper they're written on?. Western promises won't stop a second invasion. Ukraine's army might. |
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Frontline report: Ukraine gutted Russia's spring offensive staging ground—400 sq km gone in weeks. Russia planned to launch its spring offensive from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Ukraine got there first—and Starlink's collapse helped. |
Military
Ukraine recognized these Russian soldiers from battle that defined 2014. This time, Oplot was gone to last man. Ukraine's paratroopers fought the Oplot brigade at Donetsk Airport in 2014.
Ukraine hit oil depot 500 km from front — thick black smoke rose above southern Russia's Labinsk at dawn. Multiple fuel tanks at the Yugnefteprodukt depot were burning overnight on 16 March.
Hryshyne clearing operations continue as Russia tries to turn occupied Pokrovsk into a launchpad for the next advance. The 7th Airborne Assault Corps reported the two units are conducting search-and-strike operations in Hryshyne.
Intelligence and technology
Europe may turn into Ukraine's ammo powerhouse— factories ready to churn out AIM-120C-8 missiles. The US focuses on advanced AIM-120D-3, Europe handles the C-8 variant.
Russian military police are checking soldiers' phones for Telegram — ISW says this deepens Russia's command and control crisis. Some units are enforcing Telegram deletions while others ignore the orders.
International
No to Putin's rubles: Europe pledges never to be held hostage by Russian pipelines again. Every drop of Russian fuel will be blocked from entering Europe.
Over 1,000 Kenyans lured into Russia's war in Ukraine, 50+ Ghanaians killed there — three governments confirmed it, none confronted Moscow. Kenya's Foreign Minister called himself "pragmatic and realistic" ahead of his Moscow trip, saying the visit was "not a confrontation."
Ukraine cycles through two presidents since 2014 — Russia calls all of them Nazis and says it won't stop war, as peace talks stall. Peace talks stretch past a year. Russia responds with record waves of drones and ballistic missiles.
Humanitarian and social impact
Four years ago, Russia bombed Mariupol's theater with "CHILDREN" written in front of it. Today it appeared in 20 cities across world. Russia killed 300-600 civilians.
Russian drones hit Kyiv during the morning — something it normally doesn't do. Ukraine's Air Force explicitly labeled the morning drone push toward Kyiv on 16 March as "atypical," as Russia combined a standard overnight attack on Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv with an unusual morning wave of over 20 Shaheds targeting Kyiv's energy infrastructure.
Political and legal developments
Bucha blood remembered—EU slaps sanctions on nine Russians behind civilian massacres in Ukraine. Russia turned Bucha into a torture chamber in 2022. Three years later, the EU froze assets of nine people responsible.
Read our earlier daily review here.
