This week saw significant military engagements between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Here is the roundup of key events as of Thursday, March 27.
Russian forces launched a mass drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, injuring nine people and causing considerable damage, reported emergency services and Ukrainian officials.
A Russian drone attack also triggered fires in the central city of Dnipro, announced regional governor Serhiy Lysak. No casualties were immediately reported.
The mayor of Ukraine’s southern port of Mykolaiv said there were emergency power outages early on Wednesday in the city, following an attack by Russian drones.
The Ukrainian military said its air defense units shot down 56 of 117 drones launched by Russia.
Russian state TV journalist Anna Prokofieva was killed and her cameraman Dmitry Volkov was seriously injured by a landmine allegedly laid by the Ukrainian military in Russia’s Belgorod region.
Russian forces advanced in the Kursk-Sumy Oblast border area, with reports indicating movements near Toretsk and in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Ukrainian troops conducted operations in Kursk Oblast, achieving gains in areas such as southern Berdin and central Russkoye Porechnoye.
A Russian military court handed long prison sentences to 12 members of Ukraine’s Azov regiment, which led the defense of the city of Mariupol in the early months of the war. The defendants, charged with terrorist activity and with violently seizing or retaining power, were sentenced to between 13 and 23 years in prison.
Meanwhile, diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict continued.
Saudi Arabia hosted bilateral talks between Russian and US officials to discuss prospects for a partial ceasefire in Ukraine and the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.
Ukraine and Russia accused one another of flouting a truce on attacks against energy facilities brokered by the United States after Washington announced separate agreements on Tuesday to pause strikes in the Black Sea and against energy targets.
Senior Ukrainian presidential official Ihor Zhovkva said Russia has attacked at least eight Ukrainian energy facilities since March 18, when Moscow says it halted such attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a moratorium on attacking energy infrastructure in Ukraine is being fulfilled by Russia’s armed forces, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed.
The Ukrainian military rejected as false Russian accusations that it carried out strikes on energy facilities in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk regions, as well as in Russia-occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US told Kyiv that the truce deals with Russia were effective as soon as they were announced. But the Kremlin said the Black Sea ceasefire agreement would not enter force until a sanctioned Russian state bank was reconnected to the international payment system, Swift. European leaders said this would not happen until Russia withdraws from Ukraine.
The Paris Summit
More than 30 nations convened in Paris to deliberate on security guarantees for Ukraine post-conflict. Notable attendees included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron. Discussions focused on establishing a robust security framework to deter future aggression.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in advance of a European summit to discuss Ukraine, President Zelensky said he hopes Washington has enough power to press Russia into an unconditional ceasefire after Moscow put forward its conditions for the Black Sea truce.
“I want to highlight France’s efforts in helping us defend against Russian strikes. In particular, your Mirages, combat aircraft made in France, have performed very well,” Zelensky noted. “I am particularly grateful for them. They have already become a part of our air shield and are helping us defend primarily against Shaheds and other attack drones. We have spoken about increasing the number of Mirage fighter jets. I also appreciate all other forms of defense support for Ukraine. Today, we have already started discussing, and will continue later,the situation on the front, concrete defense needs, and the prospects for how we can bring this war to an end. I am grateful for France’s new defense package for Ukraine, agreed upon today. The package amounts to 2 billion euros, a strong one. All details will be communicated separately by our defense ministers. Thank you!”
The Kremlin stated that Moscow remains in intensive contact with the United States and is pleased with the progress of discussions with Washington. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked, “We are satisfied with the pragmatic and constructive nature of our dialogue and the tangible results it is producing.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the US will assess Russia’s demands following its agreement “in principle” to a US-brokered ceasefire in the Black Sea, aimed at ensuring safe navigation.
Rubio said US officials would work to “more fully understand what the Russian position is, or what they’re asking in exchange”, and then “present that” to US President Donald Trump to make a decision.
Trump said in an interview that he thought Russia wanted to end its war with Ukraine, but acknowledged that Moscow could be “dragging its feet.”
Humanitarian Concerns
Ukraine has demanded the return of thousands of children allegedly abducted by Russia, stating that their repatriation is a non-negotiable condition for any peace deal. The Ukrainian government asserts that these children were forcibly transferred and are being subjected to forced assimilation.
Compiled by Ana Dumbadze
