"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them," Trump told the Atlantic on March 1. He did not say when the talks would take place, noting that some of the previous negotiation officials had been killed in the recent US-Israel strikes.

Nelia Checheta served the state for decades — first with the Soviet military in Turkmenistan and later in Ukraine's Emergency Service — earning official honors along the way. At 62, her story continues not with commendations, but with a long prison sentence for collaboration. Checheta was convicted of passing information on Ukrainian troops and aircraft movements to an agent of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). She insisted the case was fabricated, but the evidence presented in court sug

"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Feb. 28. He also said the bombing of Iran would continue for at least the next week.

Ukraine also targeted a Russian ammunition depot and a troop position in the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk Oblast overnight on March 1.

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines why U.S.-led peace negotiations have so far failed to end Russia’s war, one year after the now-infamous Oval Office clash between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.

Belgium has detained the Ethera oil tanker linked to Russia's "shadow fleet," carrying out the operation jointly with French forces, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said.

Russia's image as a reliable ally has suffered yet another blow as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes across Iran on Feb. 28, marking a fresh outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East. So far, Moscow's response to the U.S.–Israeli bombardment of hundreds of targets in Iran has been limited to diplomatic support for Tehran, even as U.S. President Donald Trump has openly called for a change of regime. The latest development highlights Iran's junior ro

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during the final week of winter, Russia launched over 1,720 attack drones, nearly 1,300 guided aerial bombs, and more than 100 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said he was confident the missiles did not target British military bases, but added that the strikes highlighted the "indiscriminate" nature of Iran's retaliatory campaign.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that "the most intense operation against Israel and the United States is set to begin," while state outlets warned that "revenge is coming."

"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social, confirming U.S. invovlement in the strikes.

Russia launched 123 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 110 drones.

The number includes 870 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"At past negotiations, the Russian side directly said that they would accept the security guarantees offered to Ukraine by the U.S.," the head of the President's Office, Kyrylo Budanov, said on Feb. 28.

"The reason for the current events is precisely the violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime, in particular the murders and repressions against peaceful protesters, which have become particularly large-scale in recent months," the Foreign Ministry said in its Feb. 28 statement.

Among the companies sanctioned are Russian DPD service and Freightlink, joint-stock companies registered in Russia, according to a document attached to a decree published on the Office's website, signed by Zelensky on Feb. 27.

Russia and Iran have deepened cooperation in recent years, with Tehran supplying drones and other military equipment used by Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.

The western part of war-torn Ukraine lies in the space between normalcy and reality. More tourists, more construction, more skiing. Fewer air raids, fewer blackouts, fewer speeding khaki pickup trucks. But no part of the country is immune to the effects of war. A local library hangs photographs of young men and women killed in action. Graveyards fly blue and yellow. Brigades advertise jobs on large billboards lining the highway. Driving past a small, unremarkable two-story building, my guide

Russian troops launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 105 drones of various types, including about 60 Shahed drones, the Air Force said on Feb. 28. It reported downing 96 drones in the north, south, and east of the country.

The number includes 770 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Flames engulfed one of the tanks at the Albashneft oil refinery in Novominskaya and burned an adjacent area of about 150 square meters, the Krasnodar Krai Operational Headquarters said.

The FP-7 tactical ballistic missile has a range of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) and carries a combat load of 150 kilograms (about 330 pounds), according to the Ukrainian defense firm Fire Point.

The United States has lifted sanctions on three senior Malian officials who were previously designated for their ties to Russia's Wagner Group, the Treasury Department announced Feb. 27.

Andriy Portnov, a former Ukrainian top official, was gunned down in Madrid on May 21, 2025. The Spanish police reported on Feb. 25, 2026, that a suspect in Portnov's murder had been arrested in the German town of Heinsberg. The motives of the killing, however, remain unknown. The detained suspect is linked to both Ukraine and Russia, according to an investigation by the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet published on Feb. 27. The suspect's profile doesn't contradict the two main alleged motives —

The recent anniversary of Russia's expanded invasion, which is now stretching into its fifth year, is as good a time as any to take stock of the state of the war itself. For Ukraine, the fighting remains existential, and it is Ukrainians themselves who continue to suffer and to sacrifice not just on behalf of their own defense, but on behalf of broader stability in Europe. Somehow, though, many Western partners still fail to see one clear fact: that it is Russia, and not Ukraine, who has suffer

President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to visit Ukraine in a phone call on Feb. 27, amid a row between Kyiv, Budapest, and Bratislava over a key oil pipeline.

Key developments on Feb. 27 * Zelensky sees 'window' for peace deal before US midterms * Flamingo threat triggers unprecedented missile alert across Russia, 1 claimed shot down * From Starlink to 'digital officers,' Fedorov on first month as Ukraine's new Defense Minister * Russia, Ukraine, agree to 'local truce' at occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to repair key backup power line Ukraine has a chance to end the war with Russia before the U.S. midterm elections in November, President Vol

As peace talks continue and the U.S. pushes for compromise, one proposal keeps returning: Ukraine should withdraw from the remainder of Ukrainian-controlled Donetsk Oblast to end the war. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell explains why the Battle of Donbas remains at the center of the peace process.

Zelensky added that diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran remain the preferred way forward, according to a Sky News interview.

Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from March 2-8. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every week. Audio version of The Week Ahead is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. The next round of peace negotiations may take place in early March in Abu Dhabi. Earlier this week, a Ukrainian delegation met in Geneva with US rep

Rishi Sunak took up an unpaid role as a member of Ukraine's International Advisory Council for the Economic Renewal of Ukraine, according to documents released on Feb. 27 by the U.K.'s independent advisor on ministerial standards.

The Kyiv Independent’s separate analytical unit, KI Insights, is excited to announce the launch of its podcast, Ukraine Insights — a show dedicated to unpacking Ukraine’s politics, security, economy, and international relations through in-depth, expert-driven conversations.