Ukrainian journalist released from Russian captivity

"Russia has turned torture into state policy and uses it as a weapon," Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said.

Orban held a phone call with Putin amid an escalating spat between Kyiv and Budapest.

The committee was created by order of Lidia Izovitova, head of the association. Izovitova has faced criticism for allegedly being a protégé of pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk. Izovitova's tenure as head of the association ended in 2022, and she has been accused of holding her position illegally.

"Three additional settlements in the area have been fully cleared of Russian troops, while fighting continues for several more," the statement read.

Ukraine received its first payment of $1.5 billion under a new International Monetary Fund program, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on March 3.

The case was brought before the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

The International Paralympic Committee barred Ukraine’s Paralympic team from wearing their ceremonial uniform for the upcoming Winter Games, saying the design featuring a map of Ukraine was political, according to National Paralympic Committee President Valerii Sushkevych.

Russia launched 136 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, reporting that Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 127 unmanned aircraft. At least five drones evaded defenses and struck three locations. Fallen debris was recorded in three locations.

The number includes 790 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 2 that U.S. munitions stockpiles are stronger than ever, stating in a post on Truth Social that supplies at the medium and upper-medium levels have “never been higher or better” and that the country has a “virtually unlimited supply of these weapons.”

Speaking at the L’Île Longue naval base in northwestern France — home to the country’s ballistic missile submarines — Macron argued that Europe must assume a more autonomous role in its own defense amid Russia’s war against Ukraine and shifting U.S. strategic priorities.

Ukrainians in Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE said Middle East airspace closures and security fears have revived the anxieties they fled at home, leaving some stranded as Kyiv seeks assurances for their protection. Pol