President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned that as a result of easing of sanctions, Russia has elevated oil gross sales in latest days to finance its warfare in opposition to Ukraine.
Supply: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)
Particulars: Zelenskyy reported that Russia has launched almost 1,550 assault drones, over 1,260 guided aerial bombs and a pair of missiles in opposition to Ukraine over the previous week.
Quote: "Over that very same week, as a result of easing of sanctions, Russia elevated its crude oil gross sales to finance its warfare.
Revenues give Russia a way of impunity and the power to proceed the warfare. That’s the reason strain should proceed and sanctions should work. Russia's shadow fleet should not really feel protected in European waters or wherever else. Tankers that serve the warfare price range can and should be stopped and blocked, not simply let go."
Background: On 13 March, the US lifted sanctions restrictions on the acquisition of Russian oil and petroleum merchandise transported by sea tankers for 30 days.
Ukrainian operators of heavy multirotor drones endure a specialised piloting course along with fundamental navy coaching. Future drone crews are being taught evening navigation and manoeuvring with payloads onboard.
Supply: Ukraine's Defence Ministry
Particulars: A heavy bomber operator is an knowledgeable who pilots a big strike drone at a secure distance from the road of contact. This navy occupational speciality is assigned code MOS 217 within the Ukrainian Armed Forces system.
Recruits and lively navy personnel coaching to change into heavy bomber operators take an extra piloting course along with their fundamental normal navy coaching.
Quote: "At this stage, operators grasp the mechanics of maintaining a big drone airborne, learn to manoeuvre with a payload onboard and carry out advanced calculations for payload-release ballistics. Since most fight missions are carried out throughout the darkish hours, specific consideration throughout coaching is paid to working with optics – future operators prepare to shortly and precisely determine the enemy by means of thermal imagers and evening imaginative and prescient gadgets."
A bomber drone being despatched on a mission. Picture: Nemesis
Extra particulars: The bomber drone operator course additionally contains explosives dealing with coaching and security procedures, as UAV crews always work with explosives. At this stage, troops are taught methods to deal with munitions accurately and safely connect them to drone payload launch techniques.
The ministry mentioned the primary duties of heavy bomber operators are to detect hid Russian tools, dugouts and logistical routes, after which strike them by dropping explosives. Ukrainian forces use domestically produced techniques, particularly Vampire, Kazhan and Nemesis, which may carry payloads of 10 to 40 kg.
Quote: "This allows anti-tank mines or specifically developed high-explosive fragmentation munitions to be carried onboard."
Extra particulars: Along with the drone itself, heavy bomber crews even have entry to a protected floor management station, Starlink satellite tv for pc communications terminals, exterior antennas, turbines, charging stations, giant UAV batteries and a car for deploying and evacuating the system. The ministry mentioned troops are additionally issued small arms, that are "critically necessary when guarding launch positions".
A Ukrainian bomber drone with suspended munitions and examples of their armour penetration. Picture: Brave1
Background:
Ukrainska Pravda reported earlier that Frontline Robotics, a Ukrainian drone producer, had introduced a brand new model of the Linza 3.0 bomber drone.
Ukrainian defence firm SkyFall can be increasing localisation of the Vampire and Shrike drones.
Hungarian International Minister Péter Szijjártó has claimed that Ukraine can be pressured to revive provides of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline in April as a result of it’s operating wanting cash.
Supply: Szijjártó on the Conservative Political Motion Convention in Budapest, as reported by European Pravda close to Vadhajtások, a far-right Hungarian media outlet recognized for supporting the Orbán authorities
Particulars: Szijjártó believes the provision of Russian oil to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline will resume on 13 April, the day after the parliamentary election. He stated he’s assured that Viktor Orbán's ruling Fidesz get together will win and that Ukraine will then be pressured to reopen the pipeline.
Quote: "The Ukrainians will run out of cash a lot earlier than we’ll run out of oil. So after our election victory, they are going to be pressured to modify the Druzhba pipeline again on, and the provides will resume on the night of 13 April."
Extra particulars: In saying this, Szijjártó was suggesting that Ukraine is operating out of cash as a result of Budapest is obstructing a €90 billion mortgage from the EU. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has stated he is not going to unblock any determination beneficial to Ukraine till the Druzhba pipeline resumes transporting Russian oil.
Through the convention, Szijjártó additionally stated Ukraine's accession to the EU can’t be written into any peace settlement as a result of that might imply "extending the warfare" to the entire European Union.
Quote: "What's extra, the overwhelming majority of European Union member states are additionally members of NATO, and if the EU accepted a rustic that’s at warfare, that might imply NATO would additionally shortly enter into battle with Russia, which might imply World Struggle III."
Background:
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated Orbán's continued blocking of the EU's €90 billion mortgage for Ukraine constitutes a critical breach of loyalty between EU states and can have repercussions.
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen stated after the EU leaders' newest summit that the European Union will nonetheless present Ukraine with the €90 billion mortgage package deal for 2026-28 regardless of opposition from Hungary.
The EU welcomed Ukraine's dedication to restore the Druzhba pipeline, which was broken by a Russian missile, inside six weeks. This adopted an EU proposal to mobilise funding and technical assist to revive oil provides to Hungary and Slovakia.
Oleh Doroshchuk, a 24-year-old Ukrainian athlete, has gained the gold medal on the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships within the metropolis of Toruń, Poland.
Supply: Champion, a sports activities information platform inside Ukrainska Pravda's holding firm
Particulars: Twelve athletes competed for medals within the males's excessive leap last, together with Doroshchuk, who gained gold on the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Doroshchuk, South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok and Jamaica's Raymond Richards all cleared 2.17 m and a couple of.22 m on the first try, whereas the remainder of the finalists already bumped into issues at these heights.
The two.22 m proved past Japan's Naoto Hasegawa and Italy's Christian Falocchi. Poland's Mateusz Kołodziejski, Greece's Antonios Merlos and Algeria's Younes Ayachi all failed 3 times at 2.26 m.
Six finalists went on to 2.30 m. Doroshchuk was the primary to clear that peak, doing so on the primary try. In the course of the leap, the Ukrainian clipped the bar – it shook however stayed in place.
Oleh Doroshchuk. Photograph: Getty Photos
Mexico's Erick Portillo sensationally stayed in competition, setting a private finest by clearing 2.30 m on the third try.
All of the others went out of competition. That included Woo Sang-hyeok, the 2025 world champion, who failed 3 times at 2.30 m and shared bronze with Raymond Richards.
All three of Doroshchuk's makes an attempt at 2.33 m have been unsuccessful, however Erick Portillo additionally didn’t clear the peak. Having required extra makes an attempt general, the Mexican took silver, whereas Doroshchuk claimed his first world title.
2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Males's excessive leap
1. Oleh Doroshchuk (Ukraine) – 2.30 m
2. Erick Portillo (Mexico) – 2.30 m
3. Woo Sang-hyeok (South Korea) – 2.26 m
3. Raymond Richards (Jamaica) – 2.26 m
That is Ukraine's first medal within the males's excessive leap on the World Athletics Indoor Championships in 12 years. The final got here when Andrii Protsenko gained silver in 2014, whereas Ukraine had by no means beforehand gained gold within the occasion on the Indoor Championships.
Background:
On the earlier two world championships, Doroshchuk completed within the prime 5: he got here fourth in 2024 with a leap of two.24 m and positioned fifth final 12 months with 2.28 m.
It is usually the primary time in historical past that Ukraine has had each the boys's and girls's excessive leap champions on the identical World Championships. Earlier, Yaroslava Mahuchikh gained gold on the 2026 World Indoor Championships, whereas fellow Ukrainian Yuliia Levchenko took silver.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has urged that sooner or later he could be a part of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in blocking the EU's €90 billion mortgage for Ukraine.
Supply: Fico in an interview, as reported by European Pravda, citing Aktuality, a Slovak information web site
Particulars: Fico defended Orbán, who continues to dam approval of the €90 billion mortgage for Ukraine due to the disruption to provides of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
"Viktor Orbán is politically proper. Zelenskyy can not run the European Union," he declared.
Fico mentioned a state of affairs may come up sooner or later wherein Slovakia would be a part of Hungary in blocking the mortgage, though he didn’t specify what circumstances would immediate such a transfer.
He reiterated his view that the suspension of oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline is politically motivated and pushed by hostility in direction of Russia and claimed that Russian oil would "strengthen Europe's power safety".
The Slovak prime minister additionally commented on his refusal to journey to Ukraine to satisfy President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he’s "not suicidal".
"I'm not going to be led by the nostril. You possibly can't say in a single sentence: 'Robert, you might be extraordinarily unpopular in Kyiv, so come to Kyiv, come and go to me.' I'm not that suicidal," Fico mentioned.
Background:
Fico warned earlier that Slovakia may take additional measures in opposition to Ukraine over the suspension of Russian oil provides.
Throughout a telephone name on 27 February, Fico and Zelenskyy agreed to carry a gathering, and Ukraine later urged that Fico go to on 6 or 9 March.
Fico then mentioned he wished to coordinate his place on the Druzhba pipeline with the European Fee earlier than assembly Zelenskyy.
Two folks have been killed and 5 have been injured because of Russian assaults on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on 21 March.
Supply: Oleksandr Hanzha, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Army Administration
Quote: "Two folks have been killed. 5 have been injured, together with a baby. The enemy has used drones to assault two districts of the oblast greater than 30 occasions."
Particulars: Within the Synelnykove district, the Russians attacked the Mykolaivka and Vasylkivka hromadas. Automobiles caught hearth and a home was broken. Two males have been killed. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]
Within the Nikopol district, Russian forces struck town of Nikopol and the Pokrovske, Marhanets, Myrove and Chervonohryhorivka hromadas. Harm was precipitated to infrastructure amenities, homes and retailers.
5 folks have been injured. A 55-year-old girl has been hospitalised in a critical situation. Two boys aged 7 and 18 in addition to a 45-year-old girl are additionally in hospital. Their situation has been assessed as reasonable. A 46-year-old man will obtain outpatient remedy.
The Washington Publish has reported that Hungary's Overseas Minister Péter Szijjártó has been commonly calling his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in between EU Council conferences to transient him on the course of discussions.
Supply: The Washington Publish, citing an EU safety official, as reported by European Pravda; Hungarian information portal Telex
Particulars: In line with the WP, the Hungarian minister has been commonly offering "dwell reviews on what's been mentioned" at EU conferences and knowledge on doable options.
"Via such calls, each single EU assembly for years has mainly had Moscow behind the desk," the unnamed European official mentioned.
For years, Viktor Orbán's authorities has offered Moscow with an important window into delicate EU discussions, each by means of its officers and due to Russian hackers penetrating the pc networks of Hungary's Ministry of Overseas Affairs, in keeping with a number of present and former European officers, together with Ferenc Fresz, former head of Hungary's Cyber Defence Service.
The chief of the opposition Tisza occasion, Péter Magyar, reacted to The Washington Publish's reporting by calling Szijjártó "a traitor to Hungary".
Throughout a speech to supporters reported by Telex, Magyar mentioned: "The truth that Hungary's international minister, an in depth good friend of Sergei Lavrov, is reporting to the Russians on each EU assembly virtually minute by minute is outright treason. This man has betrayed not solely his nation, however Europe as properly."
Background:
The WP has additionally reported, citing European intelligence, that Russian secret companies have proposed staging an assassination try on Orbán in an effort to drum up higher public assist because the ruling Fidesz occasion's rankings proceed to fall.
Parliamentary elections in Hungary are scheduled for 12 April, and the newest opinion polls present the opposition Tisza occasion main by 14 proportion factors.
US President Donald Trump has as soon as once more publicly backed Orbán forward of the elections, saying he hopes he "wins huge".
Russian forces have attacked crucial infrastructure services in Zaporizhzhia, inflicting energy provide disruptions in some components of the town.
Supply: Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Navy Administration, on social media
Particulars: Fedorov mentioned at 16:10 that "the Russians are attacking the oblast centre", including that "explosions are being heard within the metropolis and smoke is seen in one of many districts".
He later clarified that Russian forces are attacking crucial infrastructure services within the oblast.
Quote: "There could also be energy provide disruptions in some components of the town. Home windows in close by buildings have been broken by the blast wave brought on by the enemy strike. Early reviews point out there have been no casualties."
A Ukrainian delegation that arrived within the US metropolis of Miami, Florida, on 21 March will start bilateral talks with US representatives at about 16:00 Kyiv time.
Supply: Interfax-Ukraine, a Ukrainian information company, citing a supply near the Ukrainian delegation
Particulars: The US aspect will probably be represented by White Home Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
No representatives from the Russian Federation are anticipated to attend.
Background: A Ukrainian negotiating staff has arrived in Miami for bilateral talks with US representatives.
