Russia has struck Ukraine’s energy sites 8 times since March 18, Zelensky’s advisor says. Ukraine has recorded eight confirmed hits against its energy facilities by Russian forces since March 18, when the Kremlin claimed to have ordered a pause on such attacks, presidential advisor Dmytro Lytvyn said on March 25.
‘117 proofs in our skies’ — Zelensky says overnight drone strike shows Moscow not ready for peace. “Last night, there were another 117 proofs in our skies of how Russia continues to drag out this war – 117 strike drones, most of them Shaheds,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine denies Russian accusations of ceasefire violation. “It should be highlighted that the military department of the aggressor country is spreading false and groundless accusations in order to prolong the war, continue false propaganda and typical Russian attempts to deceive the world,” Ukraine’s General Staff said.
Ukraine’s list of energy facilities banned from attacks differs from Russian version, Energy Ministry says. Ukrainian oil and gas production facilities — which, according to the Energy Ministry have suffered the most Russian attacks as of late — weren’t on Kremlin’s list, the Energy Ministry told European Pravda.
Zelensky arrives in France to meet Macron ahead of ‘coalition of the willing’ summit. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of a “coalition of the willing” summit.
Ukraine-US relations ‘back on track,’ Zelensky’s chief of staff says. Relations between Ukraine and the U.S. are “back on track,” Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak said in an interview with Reuters published on March 26, almost a month after the Oval Office clash between the Ukrainian and American presidents.
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Return of Ukrainian children ‘number one’ aim in recent ceasefire talks, Zelensky says. “It somehow disappeared from the media field. Although I think that this is the number one thing we were going for. This is an exchange for the return of our children, whom the Russians stole.”
Ukraine approves Bird of Prey drone system for combat. The system was developed based on battlefield experience, optimizing its effectiveness against enemy vehicles and fortified positions, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said.
‘There is talk of Nord Stream’ — Lavrov eyes Russia-US energy cooperation. “There is talk about Nord Stream. It will probably be interesting if the Americans use their influence on Europe and force it not to give up Russian gas,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Russia sentences 23 Azov members to prison, including 11 in absentia. Eleven were sentenced in absentia as they had been released in prisoner exchanges, while 12 prisoners of war (POW) still held in Russia have been jailed to between 13 and 23 years in prison.
Russia imports chemicals from fertilizer companies to evade sanctions, Bloomberg reports. A Russian explosives manufacturer has ordered tens of thousands of tons of nitric acid and other chemicals from fertilizer producers exempt from sanctions, according to documents seen by Bloomberg.
Ukraine will resist ‘with their bare hands’ if forced into unjust peace, CIA chief says. “I want to say that with regard to the Ukrainian resistance, the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian military have been underestimated for a period of several years now,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said.
