Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion. It's hard to look at the hype on social media because of it. Some posts look as if people are celebrating this date, boasting about their resilience. This is not surprising, because they have lost nothing and have not spent a single day at the front. For those for whom the war began in 2014, this looks quite unpleasant.

European leaders are in Ukraine and commemorative events are being held across the country. https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cre08q9dergt

China supports all efforts to establish peace in Ukraine and calls on the parties involved in the russian-Ukrainian war to seize the opportunity for dialogue that has recently appeared and reach a comprehensive and binding peace agreement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a briefing. According to the diplomat, China's position on the "Ukrainian crisis" (as China officially calls the Russian war against Ukraine) remains consistent and clear, and Beijing continues to consider a political settlement as the only real way to end the conflict. The "Ukrainian crisis" is not and should not be a problem between China and the European Union, she said. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-world/4094800-kitaj-zrobiv-zaavu-do-cetvertoi-ricnici-vijni-v-ukraini.html

The latter is one of China's real interests and will determine its role in the war.

The expected large-scale missile attack did not happen, but I think it will happen today or tomorrow. About 80% of Ukraine's territory is unprotected from ballistic weapons, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Tagesschau. youtube.com/watch?si=yUOywN4nlY1GZMpc&v=RgQPxs2ioF0&feature=youtu.be

At least there will be no more severe frosts and we need to prepare for the severe heat in the summer. I guess I will still find the money to buy a new battery. Compared to last year, prices have almost halved, but due to inflation, the exchange rate difference can make them even more expensive. I read somewhere that Ukrainians already have batteries with a total capacity of as much as a nuclear power plant unit.

Representatives of Great Britain and France at a meeting of the UN Security Council denied the statement spread by the russian authorities about the alleged readiness of their countries to transfer a "nuclear bomb" to Kyiv. https://suspilne.media/1249014-london-i-pariz-vidhilili-zaavi-rf-pro-nibito-pidgotovku-do-peredaci-kievu-adernoi-bombi-a-mzs-nazvalo-ih-absurdnimi/

It seems that in the skill of provocations and manipulations, russia is far ahead of all other members of the UN.

The Slovak Ministry of Economy announced that it has received official confirmation from the Ukrainian side regarding the date of resumption of the pumping of russian oil. But Ukraine has not made an official announcement about resuming oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, a Ukrainian energy source told Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/ukraine-further-delays-resumption-druzhba-oil-deliveries-slovakia-says-2026-02-24/

Slovakia is officially suspending emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine as a measure in response to oil transit problems, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on February 23. https://ua.news/ua/ukraine/fitso-naklav-zaboronu-na-avariini-postachannia-elektroenergiyi-v-ukrayinu?utm_source=ukrnet_news

The Ukrainian authorities have stated that this will not affect the electricity situation. We'll see...

Meanwhile, on February 24, russia again attacked with drones a gas production infrastructure facility of the Naftogaz group in the Kharkiv region, which was damaged and its work was stopped. https://biz.nv.ua/ukr/markets/rf-znovu-atakuye-ukrajinsku-gazovidobuvnu-infrastrukturu-ob-yekt-zupineniy-ye-poshkodzhennya-50586673.html

On February 23, two more explosions also occurred, targeting police officers. A powerful explosion occurred in the building of one of the police departments in the city of Dnipro in the evening, but no one was injured. https://ua.news/ua/ukraine/vibukh-u-raividdili-politsiyi-dnipra-viznali-teraktom-ziavilisia-foto?utm_source=ukrnet_news
Also, an explosion occurred at a gas station located next to the Mykolaiv patrol police department while police officers were there, injuring seven people. https://novosti-n.org/ua/news/Vybuh-bilya-upravlinnya-patrulnoyi-policziyi-u-Mykolayevi-poraneno-7-pravoohoroncziv-333222#image-1

The authorities blame russia for the terrorist attacks, but many people has little sympathy for the police, given that they are perceived not as defenders, but as an instrument of state violence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8yKICqh1tE

In Lutsk, a man fired several shots at military personnel during an attempt to mobilize him. Fortunately, no one was injured. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/354298-v-lutske-muzhchina-otkryl-ogon-po-voennosluzhaschim-ttsk-chto-izvestno

Another Ukrainian chose prison over the army. Probably because the chances of survival in prison are higher, and prison sentences are limited in time, unlike military service. But it seems that the authorities continue to ignore the most important thing - the lack of understanding among those who are sent to the front why and for what they have to fight.

The head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, Danylo Hetmantsev, stated in an interview with Forbes that "Not all colleagues (in the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers) have a premonition of a financial tragedy. I have it, the Minister of Finance does, because he understands that in April there will be nothing to finance expenditures. Today we are already using the funds that were set aside for the second half of the year. The IMF's position on the beacons agreed upon by the government is very simple - they are mandatory. To receive funds from the International Monetary Fund, Ukraine must fulfill strict conditions by the end of March." https://forbes.ua/money/ne-u-vsikh-e-vidchuttya-blizkoi-finansovoi-tragedii-danilo-getmantsev-pro-pdv-dlya-fopiv-politichnu-krizu-v-radi-legalizatsiyu-kripti-ta-vidkat-detinizatsii-intervyu-23022026-36459#kripta-ta-igorka

According to the updated joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5) released today by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations currently estimates that as of 31 December 2025, the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine is almost $588 billion (over €500 billion) over the next decade, which is nearly 3 times the estimated nominal GDP of Ukraine for 2025. https://ukraine.un.org/en/310511-updated-ukraine-recovery-and-reconstruction-needs-assessment-released

[US7IGN]

Well, this night I woke up to the explosions, but I reacted to them like most Ukrainians - I cursed and tried to fall asleep. There is extremely little information about the consequences, other than the general report of damage to the energy sector. Meanwhile, the air temperature outside is slowly rising and in the apartment it is already on average +15C, which is quite good. As a friend of mine said, his wife used to complain that she was freezing at +22C, but now she is happy when it is +15C.

Among the so-called experts, there are discussions on how best to restore the energy sector and what is better - to restore large old thermal power plants or to build new small ones, but no one says how exactly and at whose expense to do it. In addition to the many organizational and technical issues, no one knows how it is possible to do it in the few months that remain until the next heating season. It seems to me that the number of people who want to live in Ukraine in apartments without heating next winter may be much smaller. So this again raises the question of how Ukraine is going to continue to exist and fight in such circumstances. And Trump, who calls for an end to the war within a month, seems to remain the only world leader who really cares about Ukrainians, because calls to continue the war do not give an answer as to how and to what result this will lead. Many acquaintances from abroad ask me what I think about the terms of the peace agreement. From my point of view as a realist, Ukraine does not have the resources to return the lands occupied by russia and recording losses on the front line can be considered a good result. If this will make it possible to change the government and start restoring normal life in the rest of the territory and preserve the lives of Ukrainians, then this can also be considered a good result. Some believe that if concessions are made, Ukraine will turn into Belarus under the influence of russia. But for me, the answer to the question of what is better - to be a living Belarusian or a dead Ukrainian is quite obvious. Of course, if I were making money from the war or my power depended on how long the war would last, I would find a million arguments why it should continue. And for this I would have all the necessary propaganda tools. And I am sure that there will be enough of those who will support this because the intellectual level of any crowd is always lower than that of its most stupid representative, since the crowd is driven by emotions, not reason. People are always inclined to believe in fairy tales, and persecute those who try to convey to them the harsh reality. That is why the authorities are so good at intimidating people with evil russians, although today looking out the window at how several burly policemen shoved some man into a bus, not knowing that they were Ukrainians, I would at first have decided that these were that evil russians. Now I think that in 2014 it was not so scary to walk the streets of occupied Donetsk among russian bandits who did not touch unarmed people. Of course, then the policy of the russians was to show their attractiveness, which was later replaced by a different attitude. Although recently, even in the occupied territories, if you do not openly resist the russians, you can live wherever you want without any restrictions on movement or forced mobilization, and even go abroad without bribes.

Colin asked me why people are tolerant of bribes. I have no answers to this question. But it seems like something has changed and almost every day we hear about another exposure of corrupt officials. Unfortunately, the scale is simply terrible and it seems to me that if the government were not so corrupt, Ukraine would have enough money even without the help of partners. Law enforcement officers exposed the commander of the logistics of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Department in the Zhytomyr region for corruption during the construction of shelters for aircraft. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/4096290-sud-arestuvav-nacalnika-upravlinna-sbu-v-zitomirskij-oblasti-zastava-majze-7-miljoniv.html
https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/4095428-komanduvaca-logistiki-povitranih-sil-zsu-i-nacalnika-upravlinna-sbu-vikrili-na-habari.html
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cj4zy8rwr0wo

I do not know how much money was stolen during the construction, but the amount of the bribe for concealment was 3 million US dollars.

Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, stated in an interview with European Truth that problems with trust in Ukraine due to the attack on anti-corruption bodies in the summer of 2025 still exist. When asked whether it is possible to talk about the restoration of trust in Kyiv by the EU after the repeal of the scandalous laws, the European Commissioner replied: "No, not at all. This will remain forever." https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/politics/ataka-na-nabu-i-sap-ukrajina-shche-ne-vidnovila-doviru-yevrosoyuzu-50587710.html

Some believe that certain things appear in the information field solely to distract the public from the internal causes of most of Ukraine's problems. Ukrainian skeletonist Vladyslav Geraskevych, who was disqualified from the 2026 Olympic Games, spoke in the Verkhovna Rada at the initiative of the Office of the President. He called for sanctions to be imposed and for Serhiy Bubka, who is already 62 years old, to be stripped of the title of Hero of Ukraine. https://tsn.ua/prosport/heraskevych-u-radi-potrolyv-deputativ-i-zaklykav-pozbavyty-bubku-zvannia-heroia-ukrayiny-3029810.html

Volodymyr Zelensky had previously awarded Geraskevych the Order of Freedom. So in Ukraine a loser in sports can make a career in politics. But I am not surprised. At one time, Zelensky won the elections not due to his own achievements or qualities, which were not there, but due to the unprecedented slander of Poroshenko.

Let me remind you that Serhiy Bubka is a Ukrainian former pole vaulter. He is the 1988 Olympic Champion, a record six-time consecutive World Champion, a record four-time World Indoor Champion, the 1985 European Indoor Champion, the 1986 European Champion and a seven-time IAAF Grand Prix Final Champion. Bubka broke the world record in men's pole vault a record 35 times (17 outdoors, 18 indoors). He was twice named Athlete of the Year and in 2012 was one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall of Fame. Bubka serves as Senior Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) since 2007 and served as President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine from 2005 to November 2022. He is also an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), having been involved since 1996. On 5 March 2022, Bubka professed his love for his homeland after the 2022 russian invasion of Ukraine, and declared: "Ukraine will win". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Bubka

[US7IGN]

Israel attacked Iran. https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-attack-02-28-26-hnk-intl

It was inevitable. It was impossible to ignore the US preparations for this in recent times, just as in 2021 russia's preparations for an attack on Ukraine were. It is also obvious that this war will not be short and easy and will cause extremely great damage to both Israel and Iran. But if we look at it globally, then taking into account Pakistan's attack on Afghanistan, it is about control over oil in the Middle East and transport infrastructure in Afghanistan, which directly affects China's regional and strategic interests. So, a new stage of the Third World War has begun. This will also undoubtedly affect Ukraine. As the reckless statements of Zelensky, who said in an interview with Sky News that he would "with pleasure" accept nuclear weapons from Great Britain and France, but Kyiv did not receive any such offers. https://zn.ua/ukr/war/zelenskij-iz-zadovolennjam-prijnjav-bi-jadernu-zbroju-vid-britaniji-ta-frantsiji.html

It seems only a really great comedian can laugh at things like that ...

He also stated that Ukraine mobilizes 30-34 thousand fighters per month, while russia mobilizes about 10 thousand more. https://24tv.ua/mobilizatsiya-ukrayini-rosiyi-zelenskiy-ozvuchiv-tsifri_n3018624

By the way, these are also the numbers of losses, since there is no demobilization in Ukraine. In this race for attrition, we must not forget that russia has 5 times more population, and mobilization there is voluntary and mainly involves marginalized and criminals, which not only does not harm the economy, but also cleanses society of such people, and russia also has a large reserve of migrants from Central Asia, who can now obtain russian citizenship only after serving in the army.

In the Ukrainian army, with the arrival of the former Minister of Digitalization, and before that, a marketing specialist, to the position of Minister of Defense, the expected changes are taking place. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are working on creating a vertical of digital officers who will introduce innovations in the army. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/4096316-fedorov-zaaviv-so-u-zsu-zavlatsa-cifrovi-oficeri-persogo-vze-priznacili.html

I am convinced that if, for example, a hairdresser were appointed as the Minister of Defense, the position of a hairdresser officer would be mandatory in each unit, and perhaps even special hairdresser troops would be created as a separate branch of the military.

I was reminded of an old anecdote about the last General Secretary of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, and his reforms. During the period of Perestroika, chickens began to die in the central state farm "Red October". 10% died in one day. Such a serious event was immediately reported to Gorbachev:
— Mikhail Sergeevich, 10% of the chickens died at the Krasny Oktyabr state farm.
- This is very serious. Hang a red circle above the chicken coop.
Another 20% fell the next day.
— Mikhail Sergeevich, another 20% of chickens died at the Krasny Oktyabr state farm.
— Are you sure that all the chickens saw the red circle?
— Yes, of course, Mikhail Sergeevich.
- Hang a black square in the same place.
The next day, there was not a single chicken left at the Krasny Oktyabr state farm, which was reported:
— Mikhail Sergeevich, all the chickens at the Krasny Oktyabr state farm died.
- What a pity, I still had so many wonderful ideas.

But it seems that something is also changing in the system of governance in Ukraine. It is obvious that Zelensky's environment is gradually changing and external influence is increasing. The former UK PM Rishi Sunak and Chrystia Freeland, who served as Canada's Minister of Finance from 2020 to 2024 have joined President Volodymyr Zelensky’s International Advisory Council for the Economic Renewal of Ukraine. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-war-rishi-sunak-zelensky-b2929045.html
https://suspilne.media/1249624-ukrainci-vouut-ne-dla-togo-sob-pisla-vijni-buti-bidnimi-hrista-friland-pro-risenna-stati-radniceu-zelenskogo/

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with former Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin and offered him several areas of further cooperation. https://suspilne.media/1251376-zelenskij-zaproponuvav-klimkinu-kilka-napramiv-podalsoi-spivpraci/

This diplomat of russian origin was a minister under previous President Petro Poroshenko.

Diplomacy in Ukraine is obviously a special art form. Ukraine constantly informs China about cases of russian sanctions circumvention, about the discovery of Chinese components in missiles and drones, or machine tools in factories, said Vladyslav Vlasyuk, the presidential advisor and plenipotentiary for sanctions policy, in an interview with Radio Liberty. He also called China a problematic country because of russia's support. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-op-sanktsiyi-rosiya-postavky-kytay/33689643.html

This will definitely improve Ukraine's relations with China against the backdrop of difficult relations with the USA.

The U.S. State Department told the Ukrainian government to refrain from hitting U.S. interests following a Ukrainian attack on the russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, Kyiv's ambassador to Washington said on February 24.  https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/ukraine-does-not-feel-abandoned-by-us-government-envoy-says-2026-02-24/

That is why I believe that the only partner of Ukraine that will always have common interests with it is Poland. "Ukraine's victory in the war will be Poland's victory. russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not seek peace, but Ukraine's surrender," said the head of the Polish Foreign Ministry, Radosław Sikorski. Sikorski also reported that Poland is now the second largest supplier of goods to Ukraine. In addition, he stated that thanks to Ukrainians living in Poland, Poland's GDP increased by almost PLN 100 billion (USD 84 billion) in 2024. According to him, "the level of economic activity of adult immigrants from Ukraine is even higher than among Poles." The minister also noted that Ukrainians have founded more than 120,000 companies in Poland. Regarding relations with the United States, he said, "We have been and will be loyal partners of America. But we cannot be suckers." https://wszystkoconajwazniejsze.pl/radoslaw-sikorski-expose-2026/

[US7IGN]

Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund signed a memorandum on receiving the next tranche of financing after the IMF Board meeting on February 26, which approved a program for Ukraine for $8.1 billion. As part of the agreements, the government pledged to fulfill a number of mandatory prior actions, in particular, to introduce new tax changes for businesses and citizens, said MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak. One of the first structural “beacons” of the program is the adoption of a package of tax changes for 2026–2027. The deadline is the end of March. https://ua.news/ua/ukraine/ukrayina-ta-mvf-pidpisali-memorandum-viiskovii-zbir-5-bezstrokovo-ta-pdv-dlia-fop

In unverified sources, I saw that Ukraine must pay about 70% of the new borrowing for servicing previously taken loans. Apparently, this is already a problem of the creditor, not the debtor.

Meanwhile, the state-owned PrivatBank wrote off NPLs (non-performing loans) totaling UAH 151.5 billion ($3.5 billion) by the end of 2025. This is evidenced by the official reporting of the National Bank and confirmed by the bank itself. PrivatBank openly says that it has written off the debts of former shareholders who controlled the bank before its nationalization in December 2016, including oligarchs Ihor Kolomoisky (49.98% of shares) and Gennady Bogolyubov (41.6%). Ihor Kolomoisky has been in custody since September 2023, charged with fraud, money laundering, and misappropriation of PrivatBank assets worth UAH 9.2 billion. https://telegraf.ua/ukr/economics-finance/2026-02-09/5932732-kolomoyskiy-i-druzi-bilshe-ne-vinni-privatbanku-chomu-spisano-milyardi-i-shcho-dali

While the situation in Ukraine remains uncertain, I continue to develop my initiative to participate in the future recovery of Ukraine. Yesterday I took part in a round table dedicated to the anniversary of the implementation of the European legislation on preventive restructuring in Ukraine. In addition to colleagues and representatives of banks, the Ministry of Justice and judges, I met with the Vice President of the Canadian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, to whom I told about the possibilities of using this new in Ukraine, but well-known abroad, instrument for investing in Ukraine. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/4096235-procedura-preventivnoi-restrukturizacii-v-ukraini-lise-rozvivaetsa-i-potrebue-adaptacii-ekspert.html

[US7IGN]

The war in the Middle East is escalating and Ukrainians are thinking about how it will affect them. It is obvious that Ukraine will now have fewer weapons and this is more sensitive than stopping the supply of Iranian drones and missiles to russia. Oil prices will go up and this will help russia. I am not talking about the fact that russia will now consider itself not the only aggressor in the world and can justify its actions in Ukraine by pointing out that the US is doing the same in Venezuela, Cuba and Iran.

Despite all the differences in the situation in Ukraine and Iran, some of Ukraine's experience can be applied to Iran. Four years of missile strikes on Ukraine and large-scale destruction of the energy sector have not led to collapse and regime change, so I would not expect that Trump's goal of regime change in Iran can be achieved without a successful ground operation. But Iran is a large country with over 90 million people and an army of millions, and the regime is not only the murdered Ayatollah Khomeini and other high-ranking officials, but also many other people who are not going to give in, despite Trump's statements that the new leaders want to talk to him. Even total air superiority does not guarantee quick success, as Gaza has shown. Trump's calls for Iranians to overthrow the regime will most likely only lead to greater casualties among the protesters, since in the chaos it is the regime that has control over resources and the armed forces, and ordinary people will now think about immediate survival, not about political change.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98g91wgdd8o
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/us-israel-iran-attack-03-01-26-intl?post-id=cmm7yu0i600003b6sikraqtyg
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-attack-02-28-26-hnk-intl

Libya has already entered the war, where Hezbollah has struck Israel, and anti-American protests in Pakistan. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-police-fire-tear-gas-protesters-outside-us-consulate-reuters-witness-2026-03-01/

The position of China, which is not happy with high oil prices and may take advantage of the situation and attack Taiwan while the US is busy in the Middle East, will be important.

So now Ukraine can only count on the support of part of Europe and its own forces. The main, albeit rapidly decreasing resource, are people, but it seems that the government is not going to change anything in its attitude towards people. The deputies are again proposing to strengthen coercion and punishment for evasion of service of those who do not work for the government and do not have money for bribes. https://sud.ua/uk/news/video/354690-uklonyayuschimsya-planiruyut-polnostyu-zablokirovat-vse-scheta-i-zapretit-ezdit-na-avtomobile-nardep-venislavskiy

Instead, sociologists say that now 60% believe that we need to negotiate and settle, stop the war through negotiations, but in 2022-23, the same 60%, or even more, said that we need to go to victory, all the way to the Kremlin. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/sociolog-pro-nastroyi-ukrayintsiv/33688083.html

Of course, most Ukrainians do not believe in long-term peace with russia or in complete victory. In general, a Ukrainian cannot say that mobilization is bad, because who will fight then? But it is obvious that it must change. Unfortunately, apart from general words that changes are needed, the authorities do not offer a clear, understandable and fair strategy for mobilization, which leads to increased internal tension in the rear, where people see healthy police officers catching sick men on the streets, and in one office there are women, one of whom had a husband killed at the front, and the other whose husband has been exempted from military service for a bribe or because he works for the government.

It is unacceptable that Ukraine lacks at least 4,000 energy workers to effectively restore the power system after massive enemy shelling because they were mobilized. https://www.unian.ua/economics/energetics/v-ukrajini-kritichniy-deficit-energetikiv-ekspert-poyasniv-chomu-tak-stalosya-13297464.html

[N0TZU]

Yes, air power alone has never changed a government or won a war without powerful additional factors. Almost always this is military ground forces, typically of the attacking country or allies, or a rebel army. None of these are present yet in Iran.

I and many, many others are happy to see the cruel murderous thugs who enslaved Iran and brought much chaos and death to the Middle East finally delivered into eternal justice. However that shouldn’t be confused with successfully changing the regime they led into something more benign.

As you point out it will also affect the Ukrainian situation most unfortunately. The only positive I can think of is destroying the Iranian drone factories and missile factories assuming the US does so. The effect would be modest though since Russia is building their own in quantities.

[US7IGN]

I and many, many others are happy to see the cruel murderous thugs who enslaved Iran and brought much chaos and death to the Middle East delivered into eternal justice.

Didn't the people support them and help them come to power in 1979? In fact, I'm more interested in why the authoritarian evil and bloody regimes in Iran and russia didn't close the borders to their citizens, unlike democratic Ukraine? Why even in the occupied territories no one catches Ukrainians on the streets and they can go wherever they want from there if they want?

[N0TZU]

Yes Ukraine is still an outlier even compared to these.

The Shah was overthrown by a fairly broadly supported uprising. Iranians didn’t expect to then end up in a brutal, isolated theocracy, in many ways much worse than the Shah’s regime. In general one could leave Iran, the mullahs were happy to have potential troublemakers remove themselves. However I’m not sure about men of military age during the period of the Iran-Iraq war.

[US7IGN]

Iranians didn’t expect to then end up in a brutal, isolated theocracy, in many ways much worse than the Shah’s regime.

"All revolutions are conceived by idealists, implemented by fanatics, and its fruits are stolen by scoundrels". And all this is happening with the powerful support of the ignorant majority. We must not forget that even having a higher education does not make a person intelligent. This is a quality that one must be born with.

It seems like spring has come. The air temperature during the day is above zero and the sun is shining, which significantly lifts the mood. But there has already been a warning about the next major air attack by russia, the target of which this time is supposedly the water supply system of large cities. Small attacks of a couple of hundred drones continue daily and have long become commonplace. But the Persian Gulf countries were unprepared for such attacks and Reuters writes about the stoppage of 20% of gas production in the world due to strikes by Iranian drones. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/saudi-aramco-shuts-ras-tanura-refinery-after-drone-strike-source-says-2026-03-02/

As Iran continues to launch missiles and drones in all directions, and the fall of the regime has not occurred https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c62gg44d53xt , this has given rise to the emergence of numerous memes in Ukraine that use analogies with the war in Ukraine - humorous calls from single Ukrainian women to provide shelter to refugee sheikhs, or to give Dubai to Iran in exchange for peace, by analogy with giving Donbas to russia, "Tehran in 3 days", "Shaitan the dog", and so on... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patron_(dog)

In fact, most Ukrainians sympathize with the Iranians and constantly compare what is happening there with what is happening in Ukraine. I am sure that the accusation of creating a nuclear bomb (which could really be created by the regime) is, as in the case of the alleged chemical weapons in Iraq, just a pretext for a war, the real goal of which is control over oil and the elimination of competitors. Now the only obvious beneficiaries are the USA and russia, but Europe and Asia have suffered the most. The prices for gasoline and gas have already risen wildly and no one knows whether there will be anything to fuel all those generators that have been brought to Ukraine from all over the world. https://kurs.com.ua/novost/1445595-ceni-na-azs-snova-vzleteli-v-chem-prichina-i-chto-budet-dalshe

Replacing an authoritarian regime is extremely difficult, because it is not enough to kill one person, there are thousands of others who control the resources and will defend their power and status to the last. And that is why I do not expect, unlike many others, that putin's death will fundamentally change anything. Even if the russians stop due to exhaustion, they will continue to try to achieve their goals. And now is the most favorable time for them.

Bloomberg writes that russian oil supplies to India have resumed. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-05/russian-oil-cargoes-swing-back-to-india-as-iran-war-hits-supply

Also, the cessation of supplies of critical weapons, especially interceptor missiles for air defense, due to the depletion of their stocks in the United States, is a major threat to Ukraine. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxzzqe82d2o

I watched the latest interview with Kyrylo Budanov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QziT8HsPag and noted his growing political activity as head of the President's Office, although he demonstratively continues to wear shoulder straps and directly declares that he remains a military man. His slogans are simple and very appealing to the Ukrainian electorate, which obviously wants a strong leader, but does not want to think about the consequences. I cannot help but recall how authoritarianism in Russia began with the coming to power of the then young and intelligent putin, who promised to protect russia from external enemies, justifying repression and oppression. Well, people will again pay dearly for their choice and will remember Volodymyr Zelensky as the good old days, as they now remember Petro Poroshenko and even Viktor Yanukovych. The interests of the state will again be put above the interests of the people and we know how it always ended. And so far, this leads to people not trusting the state and caring first of all about themselves. A vicious circle of inefficiency and disunity that Ukraine cannot afford. The biggest pessimists generally believe that Zelensky will be the last president in Ukraine.

Although it is difficult to disagree with his thesis that commanders should be close to their military units to increase combat effectiveness. This once again reminds us that if he, and not Oleksandr Syrsky, were appointed as Valery Zaluzhny's successor, he could radically change the Ukrainian army and its effectiveness. But time is running out and it seems to me that it will not be possible to radically change anything. At least as long as Zelensky and Syrsky are in charge of the Ukrainian defense.

National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko believes that the russian army managed to occupy a significant part of the territory at the beginning of the full-scale invasion because Ukraine was not ready for it. https://www.dsnews.ua/ukr/politics/komanduvach-nacgvardiji-zayaviv-shcho-mi-ne-buli-gotovi-do-povnomasshtabnogo-vtorgnennya-tomu-rosiji-vdalosya-tak-bagato-okupuvati-26022026-453958

Zaluzhny also continues to give interviews and make speeches at events, but this attracts much less attention. https://www.pravda.com.ua/columns/2026/02/23/8022301/
https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/tradytsiynyy-pidkhid-do-mobilizatsiyi-sebe-vycherpav-zaluznyy-nazvav-alternatyvu-3027797.html

He also tries to speculate on the topic of mobilization, pointing out the need to replace people with machines, but I'm not sure he believes that himself. Looking at the numerous videos showing kidnappings, beatings, and murders of people during mobilization, I once again ask myself how this strengthens the country's defense capabilities and motivates people to fight for Ukraine, rather than fleeing at the first opportunity or harming and taking revenge for such treatment of themselves?

Some European countries are raising the issue of returning men to Ukraine, but the issue of returning Ukrainian men of military age who are under temporary protection is not currently on the EU agenda, and no changes to the relevant provision are expected this year, said European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/4096298-ukrainski-coloviki-prizovnogo-viku-maut-taki-z-prava-na-timcasovij-zahist-ak-i-zinki-ta-diti-evrokomisia.html

Europe has a really difficult choice about how to best use Ukrainian men, who are clearly in fewer numbers than everyone would like. Should they fight in Ukraine or work in Europe?

Meanwhile, the registry of missing persons under special circumstances contains over 90,000 entries - military and civilian, including children. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2026/02/26/8022844/

[US7IGN]

On the night of March 7, the enemy launched a combined strike on critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. The Air Force recorded 509 missiles and hits, of which 472 were neutralized. It was a loud midnight in Kyiv, and almost 2,000 houses were left without heating again. But it is already quite warm and sunny outside.  https://kurs.com.ua/novost/1446243-nochnoi-obstrel-kieva-pochti-2-tisjachi-domov-ostalis-bez-tepla
https://kurs.com.ua/novost/1446230-rossija-atakovala-ukrainu-raketami-i-dronami-est-popadanija-na-22-lokacijah
https://kurs.com.ua/novost/1446251-v-ukranergo-rasskazali-o-posledstvijah-massirovannoi-ataki-rf-na-anergetiku-7-marta

At least 11 people were killed when a rocket hit a residential building in central Kharkiv. The railway in the west of the country and the Dniester Hydroelectric Power Plant were also damaged, which may cause problems not only with electricity, but also with water supply in several regions. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cewz7evxgqjo
https://agroreview.com/content/masovana-ataka-dnistrovsku-ges-naslidky/

Ukraine has used about 700 anti-aircraft missiles for the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system in four months. This is more than the American company Lockheed Martin produced in all of 2025. According to Euronews, this was stated by Andrius Kubilius, the European Union Commissioner for Defense and Space. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/03/06/europe-must-urgently-boost-missile-production-eu-defence-chief-warn-as-global-demand-soars

Meanwhile, relations between Ukraine and Hungary, which is blocking Ukraine from receiving a €90 billion EU loan, continue to deteriorate. After Zelensky’s threats to Hungarian President Orban, which were condemned by the European Commission, Hungary detained Ukrainians who were transporting $40 million, €35 million and 9 kilograms of gold through Hungary in state-owned bank collection vehicles, accusing them of money laundering. https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/03/6/7232646/
https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/03/6/7232681/
https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/03/6/7232650/

The Ukrainians were later released, but the money and gold were not returned.

Most EU countries did not support the idea of ​​“advance accession”, or “reverse enlargement”, which the European Commission proposed for Ukraine, reports Politico https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/back-to-the-drawing-board-for-ukraines-eu-hopes

[US7IGN]

Humanity eagerly continues to destroy itself, environmentalists' efforts to reduce pollutions are nullified by the products of wars around the world. The war in Iran is gaining momentum and it seems to me that more and more Iranians are realizing the inconsistency of their expectations of a US attack. Instead of a quick regime change, they got a devastating and long war. This is exactly what happened in Ukraine. Every revolution without real changes in society and the attitude towards the life of each citizen will not change anything for the better. Hopes that someone from the outside will solve your internal problems are groundless and extremely naive.

Thanks to Dave KB9YYM, I became a member of the Indianapolis Radio Club (IRC), although my radio activity has become much less. https://www.indyradioclub.org/index.html
I devote all my time to developing a new project to support investment in Ukraine, although I have no idea when this will become possible. My focus on supporting Ukrainian companies in crisis and reviving those companies that have already gone bankrupt by buying out distressed assets opens up good opportunities for potential investors. Despite the high risk of such investments, the fact that thousands of companies with foreign capital are successfully operating in Ukraine proves that it is possible and profitable. Preserving and creating jobs and developing production are vital for Ukraine's survival in the face of continued war and reduced foreign aid.

I have a website to create, a tour guide to Ukraine, and a lot of other work to find good offers and investors. Even if I don’t succeed, it has already significantly expanded my networking, given me a lot of new knowledge and skills. I remain extremely optimistic given the living conditions and health situation and this also supports me.

[US7IGN]

The war in Iran continues and there are more and more analogies with Ukraine, although with many differences. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/us/politics/trump-russia-ukraine-iran-war.html

In both countries, the attackers failed to achieve their goals in a short time, and the main blow was not taken by the regime, but by the population, for whom both the regime and the attackers are enemies. There are also differences. There is no Internet in Iran and no close allies. Time will tell how long and in what format the war in Iran will last, but in Ukraine nothing has changed for a long time. It is obvious that russia, if it wanted, could greatly intensify its attacks, for example, destroying bridges across the Dnipro or nuclear power plant substations, but it is not doing so. Are those who consider this war to be a coordinated effort really right?

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine is sending an unspecified number of Ukrainian military personnel with experience in shooting down drones to the Middle East. https://war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/ukraina-napravit-na-blizkij-shid-vijskovosluzhbovtsiv-z-dosvidom-zbivannya-shahed-v-isw-poyasnili-yaki-perspektivi-vidkrivayutsya.htm

Yesterday I thought about how the business activity of enterprising people would change if there were no such restrictions on freedom. The recently adopted law banning keeping dogs on a chain demonstrated that dogs in Ukraine now have more rights than men. Men do not share the state's desire to use them as cannon fodder. When trying to detain men, sometimes workers of mobilization centers receive knife wounds. https://suspilne.media/ivano-frankivsk/1259064-vijskovozobovazanij-vlastuvav-rizaninu-na-ivano-frankivsini-otrimali-poranenna-vijskovosluzbovci-tck-ta-sp/

Although more often, representatives of mobilization centers beat men in front of the police, who simply watch. https://suspilne.media/vinnytsia/1258556-pobitta-colovika-u-vinnici-u-tck-ta-sp-zasovuut-pricetnist-predstavnikiv-grupi-opovisenna/

In the Volyn region, a kidnapped man was freed by others, chasing the mobilization center buses in cars. In the video, the chase and ramming of the bus looked like a real blockbuster. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c0e5ywx4ne2o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD27r8olO24

[KD8ZM-Brady]

I tend not to be a cynical person, but I must admit that the first thing I thought of when I read about the potential 8 year sentence of the people who stopped the mobilization kidnappers: At least they will be in a relatively safe place (prison) rather than facing certain death at the eastern front!

[US7IGN]

I tend not to be a cynical person, but I must admit that the first thing I thought of when I read about the potential 8 year sentence of the people who stopped the mobilization kidnappers: At least they will be in a relatively safe place (prison) rather than facing certain death at the eastern front!

I am sure that Ukrainian prisons are very different from American ones, but the issue of a future amnesty already has the form of a bill. https://unba.org.ua/news/11332-pislya-vijni-amnistiya-zlochinciv-chi-zvil-nennya-vid-vidpovidal-nosti.html

As for the possibility of dying quickly, it also depends on many factors. It is clear that the greatest losses are on the front line, and that is where recruits are sent first. But if a mobilized person has useful knowledge or skills, they will find a better place for him. The problem is that among the busified people, the majority are helpless and defenseless people from the lower strata of the population without high qualifications, for whom the only alternative remains to become a stormtrooper, regardless of age and health.

In Poltava region, a group of about 20 people attacked military personnel from a mobilization center and police officers during mobilization activities. During the conflict, tear gas was used against them, resulting in six police officers and military personnel suffering chemical burns. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/355760-v-poltavskoy-oblasti-gruppa-lyudey-napala-na-voennosluzhaschikh-ttsk-i-politseyskikh-shest-silovikov-poluchili-ozhogi

The Seventh Administrative Court of Appeals declared the mobilization of a man who, at the time of his conscription, had a valid deferment from military service due to caring for his disabled father and came to the service center to extend it unlawful. https://sud.ua/uk/news/sudebnaya-praktika/355774-priyshov-do-tsnap-prodovzhiti-vidstrochku-opinivsya-mobilizovanim-apelyatsiya-viznala-prizov-cholovika-nezakonnim

And an old, but unfortunately still relevant joke.
A dog runs across the border from Ukraine to russia. They ask it:
-Why are you running away?
The dog answers:
-In Ukraine, they are oppressing civil rights and freedoms.
A week later, with wide eyes, it runs back to Ukraine.
-Well, why are you going back?
And it answers:
- It's the same there, but in Ukraine at least you can bark!

[US7IGN]

On the night of March 14, russia massively attacked Ukraine with hundreds of drones, and after 3 a.m. struck Kyiv and the region with hypersonic Zircon missiles from the sea and ballistic missiles from the north. Subsequently, the capital and surrounding cities were attacked by cruise missiles launched from bombers and ships. There is extensive destruction of residential buildings in the Kyiv region, including multi-story ones. There is information about four dead and 15 injured in Brovary and near Vyshgorod - satellite cities of Kyiv. The energy sector and important facilities around the capital were again under attack. There were reports of new problems with electricity in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. Missiles and drones also attacked Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and other regions. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cpw0lgd2q9wo

Because of this, I didn’t get enough sleep, as did the hairdresser I visited today. Next week I have a meeting scheduled for a project I’ve been working on recently, so I need to look good. Working on it takes a lot of effort, but it seems to be starting to bring the first results. Seva also visited me, who decided to attend a defense conference, and on Monday he has an interview with the PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers).

Ukraine will get money from EU countries to fund its war effort even if Hungary and Slovakia continue to block a promised €90 billion loan, two EU diplomats told POLITICO. https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-plan-to-keep-ukraine-afloat-hungary-blocking-e90b-loan/

The EU says that there is no plan "B" regarding the blocked 90 billion euros for Ukraine. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-e90-mlrd-ievro-dlia-ukrainy-es-plnu-b-nemaie/33704880.html

Ukraine’s central bank chief Andriy Pyshnyi said the US-led campaign against Iran risks piling additional pressure on the country’s war-devastated economy while handing a boost to bussian President Vladimir putin in the fifth year of his invasion. “If the conflict lasts long and remains intense, it could have a direct impact on Ukraine’s access to munitions and missiles for air defense systems,” Pyshnyi told Bloomberg. “I don’t want to generate any alarmist content, but of course — if we assume that Ukraine does not get access to this support loan for whatever reason — then there are two main sources to finance this gap: the domestic debt market and monetization of budget needs.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-12/ukraine-warns-oil-price-surge-set-to-boost-putin-s-war-chest

Meanwhile, the United ​States issued a 30-day waiver for countries to buy sanctioned russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea, in what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said ‌was a step to stabilize global energy markets roiled by the Iran war. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-issues-new-russia-related-general-license-oil-treasury-website-2026-03-12/

Mauro Longobardo, CEO of Ukraine's largest steel mill ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that the first quarter of 2026 was a "real nightmare" for the company due to a combination of a number of negative factors and that "there is no short-term or even medium-term perspective in sight" for work in Ukraine. https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1150471.html

Unlike Ukraine, Poland is not going to take all the available loans. Polish President Karol Nawrocki has decided to veto the law on participation in the EU SAFE program, under which Poland is applying for about 44 billion euros in loans for rearmament. Nawrocki said that he would not sign a law that affects the sovereignty, independence, economic and military security of Poland. Nawrocki added that the SAFE program has raised many questions from the very beginning. He called one of the risks that it is a huge loan taken in foreign currency. According to him, Poles will have to return twice as much, and Western banks and financial institutions will earn on it. https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/03/12/7233115/