Ukraine War Latest: Ukrainian forces liberate 9 eastern settlements as Russian troops face Starlink disruptions
- Ukrainian forces liberate 9 eastern settlements as Russian troops face Starlink disruptions, Ukraine's military says
- As Ukrainian regions start preparing for next winter, Kyiv lags behind
- Zelensky floats swapping Patriot missiles for interceptor drones amid increased Iranian Shahed threat
- At least 337 Ukrainian POWs 'brutally' executed by Russia, Ukraine's ombudsman says
Ukraine has liberated nine settlements in the Oleksandrivka sector along the southeastern front line, Ukraine's Air Assault Forces said on March 2 on Facebook.
The announcement follows a statement by Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who said Ukrainian forces regained more territory in February 2026 than Russia captured during the same period.
"Three additional settlements in the area have been fully cleared of Russian troops, while fighting continues for several more," the statement read.
The Air Assault Forces said their units are continuing offensive operations, pushing Russian troops out of fortified positions and cutting key supply routes.
The operation in the Oleksandrivka sector began on Jan. 29, coinciding with the introduction of new restrictions on the use of Starlink terminals by Russian forces. Under the measures, all terminals not registered in Ukraine's state system ceased operating on Ukrainian territory.
"This significantly affected the occupiers' situational awareness and complicated unit command and control at the initial stage, but the enemy did not halt its offensive operations and continued to advance," the Air Assault Forces said.
The Oleksandrivka sector of the front line lies at the junction of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
As Ukrainian regions start preparing for next winter, Kyiv lags behind
Regional leaders and mayors met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on March 3 to approve plans for the upcoming winter. The National Security and Defense Council soon approved all plans, except the one meant for Kyiv.
Each regional plan includes protections for energy infrastructure, additional cogeneration, and decentralized heating and water supply. Local officials were required to submit their plans by March 1.
Kyiv's plan was not good enough, the government said
"We still need to work for the people, for the state. If a plan is not presented, the capital will face the same winter," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 3.
"If the war doesn't end, people must be confident that they will have electricity despite all the challenges. We all need to work, not talk about how it's impossible. We have no other option."
Kyiv, home to around 4 million people, has endured multiple Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure since the start of the full-scale war in 2022. This winter, Russian missile and drone strikes led to power outages across the capital, while Moscow's attacks on the city's central heating system left entire neighborhoods without heating during one of the coldest winters in over a decade.
As Kyiv found itself in a dire situation, critics saw Mayor Vitali Klitschko as part of the problem.
Zelensky reiterated that Kyiv failed to properly prepare for winter. He said that local authorities are responsible for winter preparations, adding that if plans are not implemented, "decisions will be taken in accordance with the law."
Zelensky floats swapping Patriot missiles for interceptor drones amid increased Iranian Shahed threat
President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 3 floated swapping U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukrainian interceptor drones, amid Iran's recent strikes in the Middles East using Shahed attack drones.
Ukraine has a severe shortage of PAC-3 missiles, used to defend against Russia's frequent ballistic missile attacks.
Conversely, the U.S. forces and its allies in the Middle East have come under heavy bombardment from Shahed drones after the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend, and Ukraine is the only country with the experience of producing and using the interceptor drones that can stop them.
"Of course, this is everyone's number one question — how to protect the sky," Zelensky said at a briefing with journalists attended by the Kyiv Independent.
Zelensky noted that the U.S. and other countries have stockpiles of Patriot interceptor missiles.
"But does it protect against hundreds of Shaheds? No, and we have a shortage of PAC-3s," he said.
"If they give them to us, we will give them interceptors. It is an equal exchange."
A shortage of air defense missiles has left some Ukrainian air defense systems empty at times, including in early February, amid the threat of further Russian attacks, Yurii Ihnat, head of the Air Force's communications department, said in a Feb. 2 interview with RBC Ukraine.
At least 337 Ukrainian POWs 'brutally' executed by Russia, Ukraine's ombudsman says
Russia has "deliberately and brutally" executed at least 337 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) as of the end of 2025, Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said on March 3 during a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The mistreatment of prisoners of war constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
"Russia has turned torture into state policy and uses it as a weapon," Lubinets said in a post on Telegram.
Lubinets added that, according to U.N. data, 95% of Ukrainian POWs are systematically tortured in captivity.
Lubinets called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia, ensure that every crime is fully documented, and bring those responsible to justice.
"This issue is critically important — the world cannot stand aside," he said.
As of February 2026, Russia is holding approximately 7,000 Ukrainians captive, including civilians — a violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
More than 4,000 Ukrainians held captive by Russia are military personnel. Ukraine, in turn, holds around 4,000 Russian prisoners of war and has reiterated its readiness to carry out an exchange on an "all-for-all" format, according to Zelensky.
Returning civilians from Russian territory remains even more difficult than securing the release of military personnel.
In 2025, Ukraine conducted 10 prisoner exchanges, bringing home 2,080 service members but only 230 civilians, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Jan. 20.
The most recent prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on Feb. 5, 2026, with 157 Ukrainian service members and civilians returning home.
