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 proposed contingent would include around 10,000 troops, mostly provided by the U.K. and France, U.K. military sources told the Sunday Times. Thirty-five countries would assist with weapons, logistics, and intelligence support.
Serhii Shalaiev, the man detained and charged with the killing of Ukrainian activist Demyan Hanul, pled guilty to the murder in a closed court hearing on March 16.
Hnatov, who was formerly appointed as the deputy chief of the General Staff in February, will be replacing Anatolii Barhylevych, who took the role in February 2024.
Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 90 drones, targeting Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Odesa oblasts, according to the Air Force's report.
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.
"The fake news, as usual, is at it again!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Why can't they be honest, just for once?"
The number includes 1,400 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
"As Russia continues its ruthless attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity, water, and heat, Canada is proud... to continue the important work it is doing to help Ukraine repair its critical infrastructure," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.
Italy does not plan to participate in a peacekeeping force on the ground in eastern Ukraine to guarantee a potential ceasefire, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on March 15.
"Ukraine must be sovereign and independent, because otherwise there will be no peace, it will only be the end of the war due to the occupation of Ukraine by Russia," Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a wide-ranging interview with the BBC published on March 15.
The Trump administration dealt a blow to Russia's energy sector last week after it let lapse an exemption allowing Russian banks to use U.S. payment systems for energy transactions. The move closed an important financial channel for Russian oil and gas exports and comes as Washington looks for ways
Initially appointed as Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, General Keith Kellogg was to be involved in direct peace talk efforts between the two countries. However, recent media reports indicate that he was excluded from high-level peace at the Kremlin's request as Moscow perceived Kellogg as being too sympathetic to Ukraine.
Western leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine following a virtual summit hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 15, where leaders from 25 countries were in attendance.
Two girls, aged 11 and 3 years old, were injured in the attacks, regional Governor Serhii Lysak said. The children are being treated at a medical facility in Dnipro and are in moderate condition.
Orban named 12 demands, the last of which reads: "A Union, but without Ukraine." His other demands include banning "the unnatural re-education of our children" and protecting "Europe’s Christian heritage."
"The world must understand that Russia is the only obstacle preventing peace," President Volodymyr Zelensky said following a virtual summit of 25 nations supporting peace efforts in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a new peace delegation including his foreign minister and defense minister in addition to the head of his office.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced today that an expanded coalition of nations is ramping up efforts to back Ukraine in peace negotiations with Russia, following a high-level virtual summit in London on March 15.
Ukrainian defense forces intercepted 130 out of the 178 Russian attack drones launched at Ukraine during an overnight assault on March 14 that included attacks on energy infrastructure.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has kicked off an online summit on March 15 of the "coalition of the willing," who could go on to secure Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
Senator Mark Kelly said he was getting rid of his Tesla Model S after billionaire Elon Musk called the senator a "traitor" on his social media platform X for visiting Ukraine just days after the U.S. paused military aid to Ukraine.
The number includes 1,180 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
"I think we've had some very good results. I haven't been able to say that to anybody else, I haven't wanted to say it until just before I came here, I got some pretty good news."
A German parliamentary coalition has agreed to allocate 3 billion euros (approximately $3.2 billion) in new military aid to Ukraine as part of a plan to dramatically scale up Berlin's defense spending, incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on March 14.
The group’s communiqué, released on March 14, affirmed Ukraine’s "territorial integrity and right to exist," while condemning Russian "acts of aggression." However, its language was softer than the G7 leaders' statement from November 2024.
"There is reason to be cautiously optimistic, but by the same token, we continue to recognize this is a difficult and complex situation," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 14.
Kyiv agreed to the U.S.-proposed truce during March 11 talks in Saudi Arabia, contingent on Russia’s adherence to its terms.
Editor’s note: Soldiers interviewed for this article are identified only by their first name, callsign, or nickname due to security reasons. William, a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran, has come to Ukraine to join the Ukrainian military in its fight against Russian aggression just days after his contract with
Formally a brigadier general, Oleksandr Potiy is today tasked with guarding Ukraine on the civilian side — far from the battlefield but right at the front line of Russia’s cyber war. Potiy is in camo fatigues when he addresses the crowd of IT workers and foreign investors for the keynote
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 troops attacked a residential area in Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with ballistic missiles, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky, remains a frequent target of Russian missile attacks.
