Wednesday, March 4, 2026
The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on March 3, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Maksym Kishka / Frontliner / Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces liberate 9 eastern settlements as Russian troops face Starlink disruptions, Ukraine’s military says. “Three additional settlements in the area have been fully cleared of Russian troops, while fighting continues for several more,” the statement read.
Zelensky floats swapping Patriot missiles for interceptor drones amid increased Iranian Shahed threat. “If they give them to us, we will give them interceptors. It is an equal exchange,” he said.
Former Head of State Border Guard Serhii Deineko mobilized, media reports. Former Head of Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, Serhii Deineko, has been mobilized and will lead the Luhansk Border Guard Detachment, Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske reported on March 3.
Russian tanker reportedly on fire in Mediterranean Sea, media reports. A Russian-flagged liquified natural gas (LNG) tanker, the Arctic Metagaz, has reportedly caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea, multiple media outlets reported on March 3.
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Ukraine War Latest: Ukrainian forces liberate 9 eastern settlements as Russian troops face Starlink disruptions
Ukraine has liberated nine settlements in the Oleksandrivka sector along the southeastern front, according to a recent statement from the military. The announcement follows remarks by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who said Ukrainian forces reclaimed more territory in February 2026 than Russia captured during the same period.
Photo: Marharyta Fal / Frontliner / Getty Images
Trailing in polls, Orban goes all-in on Ukraine
Facing a real chance of defeat in the upcoming elections, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban can’t stop talking about Ukraine. Just in the past few weeks, the Hungarian strongman called Ukraine an “enemy” and accused its leadership of blackmail, deception, and election interference. Orban even deployed troops to defend Hungary’s energy infrastructure against a claimed Ukrainian threat.
Photo: Attila Kisbenedek / AFP via Getty Images
What to do if you spot an Iranian Shahed drone
A feeling familiar to millions of Ukrainians was suddenly experienced across the Middle East over the weekend — the terror caused by Shahed drones flying overhead and smashing into buildings. Footage flooded social media as Iran launched drones and missiles in retaliatory strikes in response to the U.S.-Israeli bombardment that began on Feb. 28.
Photo: Anonymous / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images
A lot has changed since 2022. Russia’s aims haven’t.
Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, one thing remains the same: Russia wants to destroy Ukrainian independence. Our mission is to keep the truth about Russia’s war against Ukraine visible — and that’s only possible because people like you choose not to look away. Become a member of our community.
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Human cost of war
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,268,520 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 790 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
At least 337 Ukrainian POWs ‘brutally’ executed by Russia, Ukraine’s ombudsman says. “Russia has turned torture into state policy and uses it as a weapon,” Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said.
At least 6 killed, 35 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day. Russia launched 136 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, reporting that Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 127 unmanned aircraft.
Opinions and insights
To confront Iran, US must also confront Russia
“No regime invokes international law more fervently than when it sees its power being challenged. The moment American and Israeli forces struck Iranian targets, officials in Moscow and Tehran rushed to rediscover the UN Charter,” writes Oleksandr Merezhko, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Interparliamentary Ties Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Photo: Kremlin Press Office / Handout / Anadolu / Getty Images
International response
Ukraine receives IMF cash cushion as huge funding gap remains unsolved. Ukraine received its first payment of $1.5 billion under a new International Monetary Fund program, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on March 3.
Merz urges Trump to increase pressure on Russia. “Russia is playing for time here, and in doing so is also acting against the will of the American president. In today’s talks, I called for increasing the pressure on Moscow,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on March 3 after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
In other news
Battle over Russia’s frozen assets reaches EU’s General Court. The case was brought before the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
Putin, Orban discuss Hungarians in Ukraine’s army captured by Russia, Kremlin says. Orban held a phone call with Putin amid an escalating spat between Kyiv and Budapest.
Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff Yermak to head lawyers’ association committee. 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.
Sponsored
War has drained Ukraine’s workforce, but women and veterans are stepping in to fill the void
The effects of Russia’s full-scale invasion are shrinking Ukraine’s labor pool, with mass mobilization and emigration leaving labor shortages across the economy.
Photo: Nataliia Zima / Helvetas
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