Putin reportedly makes first visit to Kursk Oblast since start of incursion
Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 12 reportedly made his first visit to Russia's Kursk Oblast since Ukraine's incursion into the region began in August 2024.
Ukraine
30-day ceasefire deal may be struck within days, Rubio says
"Here’s what we’d like the world to look like in a few days: Neither side is shooting at each other — not rockets, not missiles, not bullets, nothing, not artillery," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 12. "The shooting stops, the fighting stops, and the talking starts."
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv ready to fight in Kursk Oblast 'as long as necessary' as Russia claims to retake over 86% of seized territories
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
Ukraine says it's ready to fight in Kursk Oblast 'as long as necessary,' as Russia claims to retake over 86% of seized territories
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed ongoing battles in the suburbs of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast and the surrounding areas.
Ukraine Business Roundup — The foreign arms producer showing real results in Ukraine
The following is the March 11, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. For all the hype around foreign weapons producers setting up shop in Ukraine to help it fend off
Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 17
Editor’s note: This is issue 17 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from March 3–9, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks and
Russian intelligence recruited teenagers for terrorist attack in western Ukraine, SBU claims
According to law enforcement, the recruited agents were two teenagers aged 15 and 17 who sought quick money on Telegram channels.
'There will still be war' — Ukraine's soldiers on ceasefire proposal, Russia, and Putin
The "ball is in (Russia's) court," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 11 after Kyiv and Washington emerged from talks in Saudi Arabia in agreement over a ceasefire proposal. After the negotiations with Washington, Ukraine announced that it was ready to accept a 30-day-long ceasefire if
Trump said Ukraine is 'more difficult to deal with' than Russia — that might be about to change
Over the course of a tumultuous few weeks of talks, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his frustration with Kyiv. On March 7, Trump declared that he finds it "more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine" than Russia. Yet, after weeks of strong-arming Ukraine into submission, the Trump
US officials heading to Russia for ceasefire talks, Trump says
Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump said Washington has "some positive messages about a possible ceasefire." He added that a potential of the temporary truce is now up to Russia.
Ukraine struggles to hold on in Kursk Oblast as Russia strikes back before peace talks
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,
Russia has stepped up attacks in Ukraine's south over past two weeks, military says
"This is not an offensive or part of the enemy's strategic actions, but tactical attempts to improve their position relative to the combat line," said Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command.
Ukraine won't recognize occupied territories as Russian as part of any peace deal, Zelensky says
"Our people have fought for this, our heroes died. How many injured, how many passed. So no one will forget about it... This is the most important red line. We will not let anyone forget about this crime against Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on March 12.
Losing foothold in Kursk Oblast would be 'politically significant,' experts say
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
Kremlin quiet on ceasefire proposal, Russian milbloggers call it 'pure treachery'
Moscow has remained tight-lipped over the news that Ukraine has accepted a full 30-day ceasefire proposal during negotiations with the U.S. in Jeddah on March 11. After the negotiations with Washington, Ukraine's Presidential Office announced that it was ready to accept the terms if Russia also complied with the
Temporary ceasefire or redrawing borders? What ‘territorial concessions’ mean to Ukraine, Russia, and the US
After Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Saudi Arabia for peace deal talks to end the war with Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on March 12 that potential "territorial concessions" from Ukraine were part of the discussion. Since U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated
Ukraine's military 'preserving maximum of lives of our soldiers' in Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says
“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.
Ukraine doesn't trust Russia but wants to show readiness for peace, Zelensky says on ceasefire deal
"I have repeatedly stressed that none of us trust Russia... but we will not play with narratives that we want the war to continue," President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference.
Ukraine-US talks in Jeddah concerned potential territorial concessions, Rubio confirms
"Yeah, we’ve had conversations," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said when asked about potential discussions regarding Ukraine ceding territory.
200,000-500,000 men could leave Ukraine after war ends and borders open, minister says
Speaking at a press conference attended by the Kyiv Independent, Deputy Prime Minister and National Unity Minister Oleksii Chernyshov stressed the demographic challenges facing Ukraine in the fourth year of the full-scale war.
Northern Operational Command chief dismissed for unclear reasons
"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.
Putin unlikely to accept 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Reuters reports
Any ceasefire agreement would have to take Russia's battlefield advances into account and provide "guarantees" to Moscow, sources told Reuters.
Russia reportedly enters Ukraine-held Sudzha in Kursk Oblast; military hasn't confirmed
According to DeepState, Russian forces have entered the eastern part of Sudzha and are entrenching their positions.
US resumes sharing intelligence with Ukraine, Gabbard confirms
Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence, confirmed on March 12 that the U.S. had resumed sharing intelligence with Ukraine per President Donald Trump's direction.
Trump to invite Zelensky back to White House following Saudi talks
When asked if President Volodymyr Zelensky would be invited back to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump responded, "Sure, absolutely."
Slovakia’s protests prove the fight for Europe isn’t over
On March 7, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Slovakia for the third time this year to protest the pro-Russian policies of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government. They voiced concerns that Slovakia is drifting away from the European Union and its transatlantic allies. Their
Maxar reportedly restores Ukraine's access to high-resolution satellite imagery
Ukraine has relied on such imagery for defense and strategic planning, including tracking Russian troop movements, assessing battlefield conditions, and monitoring damage to Russian infrastructure.
Ukraine, US to start discussing ceasefire details next week, Yermak says
"Next week, we have already agreed that at the technical expert level, the teams will start talking about all the details," Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said.
Updated: 14 killed, 33 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 14 civilians and injured at least 33 over the past day, regional authorities reported on March 12. The casualties included children and Syrian crew members of a merchant vessel in Odesa.
30-day ceasefire 'not a frozen conflict,' Ukraine's FM says
A 30-day ceasefire plan agreed upon between the U.S. and Ukraine "is not a frozen conflict" but the "beginning of the path toward a just peace," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on March 11.
General Staff: Russia has lost 889,050 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
This number includes 1,430 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Von der Leyen welcomes US, Ukraine talks and reaffirms EU support
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the results of Ukraine’s talks with the U.S. in Jeddah, on March 11, and reaffirmed the EU’s support.
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