Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

While the whole world is watching the war in Iran from the front pages of the world's media, the war in Ukraine is taking its course, although without as much attention as before.

All morning of March 16, Kyiv was under massive russian attack with drones and ballistic missiles. Debris from a downed drone fell in several districts and even in the very center of the city. An air alarm sounded in the capital several times. There were no fires or injuries, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/ckgzd7w5xd5o

The president's reaction to another political crisis has emerged due to the intentions of a group of deputies from his Servant of the People party to resign. The president threatened them with mobilization, stating, "If you don't serve the state in parliament, then serve the state at the front." https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-zelenskyy-mobilizatsiya-rada-mandat-nardep/33707083.html

The point is not even that for this, deputies must first change the legislation, nor is it even that this is illegal interference in the activities of another type of state power, but that even the president openly admits that mobilization from an honorable duty to defend the country has turned into an instrument of repression and punishment.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Digital Affairs proposes to close access to many state registers ostensibly to protect national security. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/355885-mintsifry-predlagaet-ogranichit-dostup-k-informatsii-v-reestrakh-zachem-eto-delayut

In practice, this will lead to corruption and abuse by register holders, and will make it easier for fraudsters to commit property crimes, and will make it more difficult for owners to protect themselves from their actions. And instead of due diligence, the investor will receive an answer from lawyers that the counterparty cannot be verified. This will undoubtedly improve the economy of Ukraine...

The National Bank of Ukraine sold over a billion dollars on the interbank market in just one week, trying to smooth out exchange rate fluctuations, but the hryvnia continues to rapidly lose ground and renew historical anti-records. In total, since the beginning of this year, the National Bank has already spent more than $8 billion out of $53 billion from its gold and foreign exchange reserves. https://minfin.com.ua/ua/2026/03/14/169962018/

[N0TZU]

Mobilization is the new Gulag.

There are many ways of obscuring sensitive land locations, ownership and uses on a case by case basis, and likewise for processing but not disclosing particular patents deemed secret for security reasons, etc. A blanket method as has been proposed certainly seems asinine for the reasons you mention. Are the people running that ministry really that daft? Or are they simply lazy? Or both?

Another reason not to do it occurs to me - if everything is secret, then there is no way to plant false information on those items to confuse and distract the enemy, or to expose information leaks and leakers.

[US7IGN]

The problem is not in the mobilization itself, but in how it is carried out. As a result of this approach, unmotivated and sick people end up in the army, and the process is accompanied by discrediting the army, which obviously greatly harms Ukraine's defense capabilities. But given the scale of corruption and the crazy money involved in this, it becomes clear why the authorities will not change this system, at least as long as the people mobilized in this way will restrain russia. Perhaps there is also a certain logic in this and society is getting rid of the weakest men who are unable to escape or hide. It is a pity that, by coincidence, they are also the main economic force in Ukraine.

In Ukraine, financial monitoring of banking transactions has been significantly strengthened through the introduction of new algorithms based on artificial intelligence. Modern analysis systems allow financial institutions to instantly block cards in case of suspicious activity or inconsistency of expenses with official income of citizens. Now banks evaluate not only individual transactions, but also the overall financial model and lifestyle of each client, reports the Taxpayers Association of Ukraine. https://appu.org.ua/main-news/finmonitoring-yak-ne-stati-pidozrilim-dlya-svogo-banku-%E2%81%89/

But Ukrainians have long distrusted neither the state nor the banks, so they have already prepared for such a scenario. The most telling indicator of the state of the economy remains the amount of money withdrawn from the banking system. According to the National Bank of Ukraine, in February the amount of cash “on hand” among the population reached a new historical maximum — UAH 868.8 billion. The annual growth rate accelerated to +17.5% — the fastest jump since September 2022.

The rapid growth of cash outside banks is a worrying symptom. According to market experts and analysts for the first months of 2026, the main reasons for the accumulation of cash are not only inflation, which mechanically increases the amounts in wallets due to rising consumer prices, but also a conscious avoidance of interaction with the banking sector.

The population and small businesses are increasingly moving into the shadows due to increased financial monitoring, fear of unjustified blocking of accounts and possible administrative restrictions.

In addition, the threat of new attacks on energy infrastructure and the risk of blackouts force Ukrainians to keep significant reserves of physical money to meet basic needs, without relying on terminals and electronic payments. https://bigkyiv.com.ua/ukrayinczi-nakopychyly-rekordi-zaoshhadzhennya-u-dolarah-i-gryvni/

The amount of cash foreign currency among the population is not recorded at all. It is in US dollars or Euros that Ukrainians keep their savings and corrupt officials take bribes. Also, the price of cars and real estate is determined mainly in US dollars and payments are made in the shadow economy.

The government's response to the crisis was the usual populism. The government has approved the “Cashback on Fuel” program, under which Ukrainians will be able to receive partial compensation for fuel costs purchased at gas stations participating in the program. The cashback will be: 15% for diesel; 10% for gasoline; 5% for autogas. Some gas stations immediately raised prices by the specified percentage. https://www.kmu.gov.ua/news/uriad-ukhvalyv-prohramu-keshbek-na-palne

I am not an economist, so I cannot understand the economic effect of this and other similar programs, but this deepens the conflict between the government and parliament, which has to pass unpopular laws at the request of the IMF, including raising taxes, while the government distributes money to the population. Perhaps that is why the deputies are going to appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to urgently increase the minimum old-age pension three times to the actual level of the subsistence minimum. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/355873-deputaty-initsiiruyut-povyshenie-minimalnoy-pensii-s-2595-grn-do-7500-grn

The International Monetary Fund raised concern about Ukraine’s ability to continue receiving aid from its $8.1 billion package as lawmakers stall on measures needed to release the financing, its representative said. The Ukrainian parliament has until the end of March to pass a series of legislative amendments that would raise taxes on businesses and households under the latest four-year loan program approved last month. But the lawmakers have so far failed to debate several of the changes requested by the IMF in an expression of defiance against President Volodymyr Zelensky, potentially plunging the parliament into paralysis.

The measures are highly unpopular among the general public in the fifth year of the war, but must be adopted to unlock the rest of the funding. Kyiv has already received $1.5 billion from the latest program. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-17/imf-raises-alarm-over-aid-to-ukraine-with-parliament-in-gridlock

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed a new defense partnership between the two countries during a meeting on Tuesday, March 17. Starmer wrote on social media that they agreed on a new defense partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, which will strengthen Ukraine's ability to defend itself against brutal russian attacks and ensure the readiness of the United Kingdom and its allies to confront future threats. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/356043-zelenskiy-i-starmer-dogovorilis-o-novom-oboronnom-partnerstve-ukrainy-i-britanii

I wonder what happened to the comprehensive Centennial Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, signed last year? https://www.president.gov.ua/news/ugoda-pro-storichne-partnerstvo-mizh-ukrayinoyu-ta-spoluchen-95461

Well, two deals are always better than one. After all, they should at least make deals if they can't do anything else that's really useful.

[US7IGN]

Trump muses over ‘taking Cuba’ as island’s power grid collapses after weeks of US oil blockade and this once again reminds us of Ukraine's vulnerability in a world where force rules. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/16/americas/cuba-power-grid-collapse-intl-latam

The statement by the Deputy Inspector General of USAID to the US Congress raises the issue of the effectiveness of oversight of the use of budget funds abroad in difficult operating conditions. These are situations where, even with the presence of formalized control procedures and the involvement of international contractors, in practice the possibilities for verifying the use of funds remain limited. "Our recent audit of USAID’s $26 billion in direct budget support to the government of Ukraine revealed that USAID had a severely limited ability to ensure that the government of Ukraine could receive and use the funds as intended. This occurred because the major international contractors USAID hired to support oversight efforts failed to provide required reports on time or, in some cases, at all. This has obvious implications for the effectiveness of said oversight efforts. Nonpermissive environments, particularly those controlled by terrorist organizations, constrain the United States’ ability to effectively execute its foreign assistance programs. For example, most U.S. government personnel face restrictions when traveling outside of a limited “Green Zone” around Kyiv and from entering any part of Gaza." https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/118979/witnesses/HHRG-119-FA17-Wstate-KaplanA-20260317.pdf

It is surprising to observe how the US rhetoric towards Ukraine has changed over the past two years, but given this, the change in attitude towards russia is no longer surprising. Meanwhile russia is the biggest winner of the Iran war. As Washington relaxes the rules to ease the global supply crunch, russia's crude oil sales to India have jumped by 50%. Some estimates say that Moscow could earn up to $5bn (£3.7bn) more by the end of March, and could be on track for its biggest year of fuel-related revenues since 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wlwnn05zqo

Moscow proposed a quid pro quo to the U.S. under which the Kremlin would stop sharing intelligence information with Iran, such as the precise coordinates of U.S. military assets in the Middle East, if Washington ceased supplying Ukraine with intel about russia. https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-offers-stop-intel-iran-condition-us-cuts-off-ukraine/

EU leaders find themselves incapable of action despite wars so close to home. With conflicts raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, a summit in Brussels merely exposed Europe’s powerlessness. https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-leaders-find-themselves-incapable-of-action-european-council-summit-wars-ukraine-iran/

Things are also improving in Belarus. US Special Representative for Belarus John Cole announced during a visit to Belarus that sanctions on several Belarusian banks and potash fertilizer companies would be lifted. Cole said restrictions would also be lifted on the Belarusian Ministry of Finance, the Development Bank of Belarus, and Belinvestbank. https://efe.com/en/latest-news/2026-03-19/us-lifts-financial-sanctions-on-belarus/

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on March 20, the day after meeting with US special envoy John Cole, that a "grand deal" with the United States was being prepared. https://www.svaboda.org/a/33711613.html

On the good news, the destruction of a factory that produced weapons in the occupied territories and the damage to an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft on russian territory have been confirmed. https://uatv.ua/uk/genshtab-zsu-pidtverdyv-urazhennya-litaka-dalnogo-vyyavlennya-a-50-rosiyan/

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also reported the destruction of a russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter in the Donetsk region using a fiber-optic drone. This is the first such case during the war. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cvg05j5xdxmo

[N0TZU]

All true.

EU leaders’ foot dragging is legendary, but even in the best of circumstances Europe has only modest military resources to assist in a large military action like the war on Iran. They are unlikely to commit those in a situation where the US doesn’t build a coalition or even consult with them prior to commencing hostilities involving vital energy supplies, unless the situation deteriorates drastically.

They must face their voters, and several generations of those have passed knowing only a world where the tough geopolitical problems and risks were handled almost entirely by Uncle Sam. So “wait and see” becomes the safe decision for the moment.

It seems that the US plan to attack Iran was not well thought out - or was constrained by executive meddling - and the campaign is now at least partially in a reactionary mode.  Incredibly, Trump stated that the US doesn’t need or want help “from Zelensky” in drone warefare, despite Ukraine currently being the most experienced country in the world.

This doesn’t inspire confidence in allies (or citizens here) whether to engage or support the war. Iran is not Venezuela (or Cuba).

[US7IGN]

As for Europe, there is an opinion that russia may take the opportunity to attack the Baltic countries - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and possibly Poland. France and Great Britain are already involved in the war in Iran and are spending their weapons, which are not much anyway, and other countries will not rush to help because the USA, as the basis of NATO, will not intervene either. In addition, due to its dependence on liquefied gas, the supply of which is under threat due to the war in Iran, Europe may be forced to make concessions to russia in order not to be left without gas at all next winter. https://www.ft.com/content/64c5a600-1fc8-4370-b5d6-8a0bc273a33f?syn-25a6b1a6=1
pootin may also attack Europe because of the lack of progress in Ukraine, which may force Europe to reduce aid to Ukraine and cause a new wave of refugees already inside Europe.

As for Trump, his behavior resembles pootin's - he cannot retreat without losing everything, but by dragging the country into big war he can use this as a basis to obtain unlimited powers, up to and including canceling the elections.

I don't think Zelensky can help Trump significantly, especially since it would be humiliating for Trump. Even after sending a couple of hundred soldiers to help the Gulf countries protect them from Iranian drones, Zelensky has already been accused of weakening defenses and because it was because of this that russian drones were able to hit more targets in Ukraine.

In recent days, the energy situation in Ukraine has worsened again and there have been more outages. Also, during the night, a large part of Kyiv lost electricity and water supply due to an equipment failure. Everything was restored by morning, but during an air raid this afternoon, a large warehouse caught fire near Kyiv. https://unn.ua/news/masshtabna-pozhezha-na-skladi-pid-kyievom-okhopyla-5500-kvadratnykh-metriv-zadiiani-desiatky-riatuvalnykiv

[N0TZU]

True, the UK and France are involved, but to only small degrees so far, and on defense. They were not involved at the start of this conflict, unlike previous ones where they were in offensive roles from the beginning as part of a coalition (except the Iraq war in which France did not participate).

Notably France has moved about half its navy to the eastern Mediterranean, including their single aircraft carrier (nuclear), to defend allies and interests in the region. So potentially they could become more involved.

Bismarck was concerned about “some damned foolish thing in the Balkans” leading to general war in his time, which it eventually did as WWI. In this era we could replace “Balkans” with “Middle East”. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen this time.

[US7IGN]

On the night of March 24, russia launched a massive drone and missile strike on Ukraine. All night, most regions of Ukraine were attacked by drones and ballistic missiles. In the morning, the country was attacked by cruise missiles from Tu-95MS bombers - they flew in from several directions and moved west and towards Kyiv. The drone attack on Ukraine continues during the day, when hundreds of drones headed towards western Ukraine. In total, 948 drones were launched, which set a new record. As a result, there was a lot of destruction throughout the country, people were killed and injured. In the center of Lviv, 17th-century architectural monuments, which are under UNESCO protection, were damaged. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/clyerp57xp0o
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c98me70y27yo
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87wxvn0z3vo
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz90gpyw90wo

It is significant that news from Ukraine no longer occupies the front pages of world media, let alone the war in Iran.

Ukrainian Railway Company announced that it is changing the rules for evacuating passengers en route due to changes in russian attack tactics. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/356663-ukrzaliznytsya-usilivaet-pravila-evakuatsii-passazhirov-v-puti-iz-za-izmeneniya-taktiki-atak-rf Passengers now have the option of burning up on the train if it is hit by a drone or standing next to the train in an open field.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky announced the intensification of the russian offensive over the past four days, the "meaty" assaults of which led to the loss of 6,090 occupiers killed and wounded. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2026/03/23/8026764/

[N0TZU]

Unfortunately unsurprising: This prominent article on the front page of the Washington Post today:

“Pentagon considers diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East”

Note that this includes diverting aid intended for Ukraine provided by Europe.

“ … the Pentagon notified Congress on Monday that it intended to divert about $750 million in funding provided by NATO countries through the PURL program to restock the U.S. military’s own inventories, rather than to send additional assistance to Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials.​”

Gift article

https://wapo.st/4daQt5A

[US7IGN]

Yes, this was expected, and together with the delay in funding from Europe, it puts the Ukrainian authorities in an interesting position. Personally, I don’t know how you can fight without money and weapons. The position of Trump and pootin remains unchanged, and Zelensky once again reminded of the pressure of the United States, which will provide guarantees only in exchange for the transfer of the rest of Donbas to russia. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-links-security-guarantees-ukraine-giving-up-donbas-zelenskiy-says-2026-03-25/

In business, there is an approach of recording losses and moving on, which is understandable to Trump and seems acceptable to most Ukrainians. It involves accepting the reality of a situation, learning from the experience, and redirecting energy toward new goals, rather than dwelling on what cannot be recovered. But for Zelensky and his team, it means losing everything and they cannot agree to it.

Back in February the Wall Street Journal's chief European political correspondent Boyan Panchevsky said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed his advisers to develop a detailed military action plan for the next three years. According to him, Zelensky allegedly reported that negotiations to resolve the conflict had actually failed, and now the country needed to prepare for a protracted war. https://www.unian.ua/politics/zhurnalist-wsj-zayaviv-shcho-zelenskiy-gotuyetsya-voyuvati-shche-tri-roki-yak-vidreaguvali-v-op-13292205.html

Interestingly, the Office of the President then denied this, but since then things have only gotten worse for Ukraine. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-op-perehovory-viyna/33683327.html

Due to the war in Iran, Europe will likely be forced to look for ways to restore gas supplies from russia, which could completely change its attitude towards Ukraine, which will become an obstacle to this by continuing to fight.

Despite Ukraine's successes on the battlefield, which continues to hold the front line and damage russia's oil industry (at least 40% of russia's oil export capacity halted, Reuters calculations show), the global situation depends on its partners and allies. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/least-40-russias-oil-export-capacity-halted-reuters-calculations-show-2026-03-25/

russian aggression against Ukraine and the US military operation against Iran are gradually turning into one big war, with coalitions of states fighting on both sides, writes the British newspaper The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/26/converging-wars-leave-europe-panicked-and-putin-emboldened/

Former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny, in an article titled "Only the Dead Will See the End of the War," notes: "I have to disappoint everyone. Today it is impossible to predict and forecast the course and options for the end of this war." https://nv.ua/ukr/opinion/zaluzhniy-poperediv-pro-2-naslidki-koli-zakinchitsya-viyna-v-ukrajini-i-shcho-nam-zaraz-potribno-50592541.html

He also compares the war in Ukraine with the war in Iran and points out the impossibility of a quick US victory in Iran, just as the russians were unable to do in 2022 in Ukraine. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/21/ukraine-war-tells-us-about-iran-conflict/

In addition to external problems, a power crisis is developing in Ukraine due to the loss of control over parliament. The Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Danylo Hetmantsev, during his speech, stated that in 2025 Ukraine did not fulfill 14 indicators of the Ukraine Facility program and because of this did not receive €3.9 billion - part of these funds has already been lost. According to him, financing from the World Bank, a €90 billion loan and funds under the IMF program are also under threat. Source: https://censor.net/ua/n3607225
Also, addressing his party members, he said that they were chosen by God. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2By1kCHZsmc

Hetmantsev also stated that employers should pay contributions for refusing to hire people with disabilities. In addition to taxes, the state is also trying to shift the problem of disabled people onto business. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/356471-rabotodateli-obyazany-uplachivat-vznosy-za-otkaz-nanimat-lyudey-s-invalidnostyu-odnako-pravila-do-sikh-por-nechetkie-getmantsev

So the only available resource for the government remains the Ukrainians, who are unlikely to recognize its godhood. On March 25, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on training citizens for national resistance. The document provides for the creation of special training centers. The law also introduces new subjects in schools and the impossibility of being a civil servant for those who have not completed military service. https://sud.ua/uk/news/laws/355586-v-ukraine-sozdadut-spetsialnye-tsentry-podgotovki-k-natssoprotivleniyu

But the main tool of mobilization remains brute force, which provokes resistance, increasingly armed. To which the police respond with criminal prosecution.
https://cheline.com.ua/news/society/masova-sutichka-z-politsiyeyu-u-chernigovi-498418
https://www.facebook.com/reel/26231254816539298
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1692250081936828
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWH4wZwgmbg/
https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/356779-v-ternopole-muzhchina-ugrozhal-ttsk-toporom-i-brosil-v-nikh-kokteyl-molotova

A little more and we will see how the state will prescribe a longer prison term for the desire to live than for premeditated murder. But it seems futile to hope that the authorities will honestly consider why people do not see the point of dying in an unsuccessful war. That is why the state has not yet come up with a rational explanation of what is the point of a person without rights laying down his life for a country that is being transformed into a hybrid authoritarianism crammed with sky-high illusions.

Standing in one place until death cannot be presented as a success, because this precisely falls under the category of a “stationary meat grinder” (Zaluzhny’s term). And the looting and arrogance of the top leadership on an unimaginable scale make national self-sacrifice impossible. To continue to brazenly pretend that a country can fight forever is not even self-deception, but intent. A fundamental change in discourse is needed. A sober justification of the goals for which a person should die is needed, not a cruel criminalization of the right to live. We need to work with the causes, not fight the consequences.

And so far, Ukraine is leading in violations at the ECHR due to a systemic crisis of justice. The European Court of Human Rights has published its annual report for 2025. The statistics raise serious concerns about Ukraine's compliance with its convention obligations. Ukraine received the largest number of violation decisions among all participating states - 160 findings of violations out of 164 decisions issued. https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/annual-report-2025-eng

I also recently heard a joke that the Security Service of Ukraine deals with those who are dissatisfied with the government, and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau deals with those who are satisfied with the government.

[US7IGN]

russia has been carrying out a massive drone attack on Ukraine throughout the evening of March 28, as well as during the night and morning of March 29. Initially, they struck Starokostiantyniv, where the largest military airfield is located, with a Kinzhal aeroballistic missile. Then all the night, drones attacked all regions in wave after wave. In the morning, drones targeted Kyiv and then continued toward western Ukraine again. According to the Air Force, russia used a Kinzhal aeroballistic missile and 442 strike UAVs, of which 380 drones were successfully shot down. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/czxr7249egxo

In response, Ukraine is attacking russia's oil industry with drones, including once again attacking the port of Ust-Luga - one of the largest russian ports on the Baltic Sea and a key hub for the export of russian oil products, located about 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/droni-znovu-atakuvali-rosiyskiy-port-ust-1774763962.html

As the Ukrainian strikes continue, the russian government is poised to reintroduce a ban on gasoline exports, according to state news agency TASS. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/28/europe/ukraine-attacks-russia-oil-intl

Unfortunately, Ukrainian attacks are still not powerful enough to cause significant damage to russia and force it to reconsider its attitude towards the war.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of lying over US demands and voiced openness to diverting weapons from Kyiv to support the US attack on Iran. Mr Zelensky had said in an interview the United States was pressing Ukraine to give up the eastern Donbas region to russia, which invaded four years ago, before finalising any post-war security guarantees to Kyiv. "That's a lie," Mr Rubio told reporters when asked about Mr Zelensky's remarks. https://www.rte.ie/news/ukraine/2026/0327/1565584-us-ukraine/

Weapons and their sale are a huge business and a political tool, which is why the comment by Armin Papperger, president of the German defense concern Rheinmetall, who compared Ukrainian drone production companies to "housewives" who make weapons in their kitchens, caused a great resonance. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/30/ukrainians-chide-german-defense-boss-comments-lego-drones-made/

Personally, I do not understand what offended some Ukrainians so much, who themselves, a couple of years ago, were spreading hype about the artisanal production of drones and were proud that housewives make drones in their kitchens. Now many believe that it was precisely such a state policy that later led to the lag behind russia in drone production, which has established mass industrial production of a small number of drone types. This led to a significant reduction in costs, an increase in their production, improved quality and other advantages of standardization.

[US7IGN]

The Ukrainian president's trip to the Persian Gulf countries, where he tried to sell Ukraine's help in the fight against Iranian drones, has ended. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/ukraine-closes-mideast-deals-help-counter-iranian-drones-2026-03-27/
Of course, this causes an ambiguous reaction from Ukrainians, who do not believe that they are well enough protected, and next winter they really risk being left without energy, heating and water. The consequences of the trip can be concluded that Ukraine can no longer be considered the only victim of a war with the attention of the whole world to itself. Also, the bold desire to continue fighting at any cost means that Ukraine is turning from a victim into a full-fledged party to the war with the corresponding consequences, and requires not populism, but a rational approach taking into account the real situation, and not invented unattainable goals. The status of a commercial participant in the arms market during an unresolved and stalemate domestic war is not so much beneficial to the country as to the beneficiaries of weapons production and exports. And this has already led to the fact that allies will no longer give Ukraine certain types of weapons, directly referring to the fact that Ukraine independently produces and even sells everything it needs. Moreover, it calls into question the need to help Ukraine as a whole. Also, the claim to high expertise in anti-drone defense does not correlate well with regular hits by russian drones even deep in the Ukrainian rear.

Satellite imagery and verified videos show Ukraine has repeatedly struck key russian oil export infrastructure near the Baltic Sea in the past week, leaving some facilities burning for several days. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qdwpnwzwpo

But the war in Iran has led to the fact that russian oil prices are rising and compensating for its losses from the Ukrainian strikes. Overall, the shortage and rising cost of energy will inevitably put pressure on Ukraine's import-dependent economy. Ukraine is at risk of a significant diesel fuel shortage of about 90%. Against this backdrop, the authorities are negotiating with Middle Eastern countries regarding fuel supplies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/357018-v-ukraine-vozmozhen-defitsit-dizelnogo-topliva-na-90-zelenskiy-predlozhil-vykhod

Unlike the Ukrainian government, which introduced cashback, the Polish government reduced VAT and excise duty on fuel, which made it possible to lower prices, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/ceny-paliw-w-polsce-jest-zapowiedz-premiera

[US7IGN]

After a large-scale drone attack on the night of March 31 to April 1, russia again launched hundreds of drones flying to western Ukraine and attacking the central regions. People have died again, homes and factories have been destroyed, and most importantly, energy facilities, which is why the whole country is suffering.
https://babel.ua/news/125934-rosiyani-atakuvali-ukrajinu-339-dronami-skilki-zbila-ppo
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c5yx83v8l78o

In addition to the usual blackouts, there are power outages in Kyiv, which causes water shortages in a number of areas and disruptions in transport. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/357004-v-kieve-pereboi-so-svetom-bez-vody-neskolko-rayonov-chastichno-ostanavlivalos-metro-i-transport

Ukraine is losing important time to prepare for the next heating season due to the delay in receiving a loan from the European Union, Zelensky said. https://today.ua/488428-kritichna-zatrimka-ukrayina-proterminuvala-pochatok-pidgotovki-do-nastupnogo-opalyuvalnogo-sezonu-cherez-zablokovani-90-mlrd-yevro/

[US7IGN]

On the morning of April 3, russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine with drones and missiles, and the entire country was on alert. Most of the drones attacked central Ukraine - Kyiv and the cities around the capital, but some of the drones flew west towards Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia. After 10 a.m., cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bombers flew into Ukraine.

According to the Air Force, today air defense systems shot down/suppressed 541 targets – 26 missiles and 515 drones of various types: 24 Kh-101 cruise missiles; 2 Iskander-K cruise missiles; 515 enemy UAVs of various types. Hits of 11 missiles and 27 strike drones were recorded at 20 locations. Emergency power outages again in Kyiv and throughout Ukraine. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cjr9lqr9n87o
https://mind.ua/news/20303235-u-kievi-zaprovadili-ekstreni-vidklyuchennya-svitla-pislya-masovanoyi-ataki

Lately, I've been writing almost nothing about fighting on the front and the drones or single missiles that destroy something or kill someone every day throughout Ukraine, because it has long become ordinary. The news that Ukrainian drones have occasionally attacked something somewhere in russia also seems to have long failed to make much of an impression on either Ukrainians or russians. It seems that this is of interest only to those who follow the news of the General Staff every day, while the attention of the majority is occupied with more immediate things such as the lack of money and rising prices. Even the spread of resistance to mobilization, which the authorities explain exclusively by the influence of russian propaganda, is not so significant that anything changes in state policy. Although yesterday there was a unique case when a customs officer stabbed an employee of the mobilization center. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2026/04/02/8028401/
https://westnews.info/news/U-Lvovi-zatrimali-inspektora-mitnici-za-pidozroyu-u-vbivstvi-vijskovogo-TCK.html
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cdxkl57z6wyo

The Ministry of Defense has once again announced yet another change, which no one believes. https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/minoboroni-anonsuvalo-zmini-mobilizatsiyi-1775148182.html

In all other cases, everything usually ends only with bodily injuries for all participants. https://glavnoe.in.ua/news/u-harkovi-natovp-zupynyv-bus-tczk-i-zvilnyv-cholovika-vylamavshy-dveri
https://www.facebook.com/reel/26239712825687371

Also, dozens of Ukrainian men have been deported by ICE. Some were sent straight to the military, writes CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/27/europe/ukrainians-deported-ice-military-draft-intl-cmd

Meanwhile, former spokeswoman for the President of Ukraine Yulia Mendel recalled that Volodymyr Zelenskyy evaded military service 4 times. "Volodymyr Zelenskyy is often compared to Winston Churchill. Few differences just missing. Winston Churchill fought in the Cuban War (1895), Malakand Campaign (1897), Sudan (1898), Boer War (1899-1900), and on the Western Front in WWI. He earned numerous campaign medals. Volodymyr Zelenskyy evaded military service four times when he was called up before he took office. What would Churchill say, what would he say...", she wrote on the social network X. https://x.com/IuliiaMendel/status/2038339410953900086
https://censor.net/ua/news/3608042/mendel-nagadala-scho-zelenskyyi-uhylyavsya-vid-viyiskovoyi-slujby

Opposition MP Oleksiy Honcharenko made a calculation based on official information from the Ministry of Defense regarding the number of Russian military personnel involved in hostilities in Ukraine, according to which the Ukrainian army has about 1 million people, while the Russian group has 700 thousand. At the same time, the military reports that the enemy has a 3-5 times superiority in manpower in different parts of the front, which indicates a discrepancy. The MP suggests that a significant part of the million Ukrainian army exists only “on paper”, or these are people who are limitedly suitable or involved in schemes when a person is counted in the army, but is not actually there. According to his calculations, about 200 thousand people are actually fighting on the front line. At the same time, about 46,000 people work in the mobilization system, of which Honcharenko proposes sending some of the suitable mobilization employees to the front, instead of “storming” cities. He also speaks of the need to choose the path of motivation instead of coercion. The main proposal is to create decent conditions: a really high salary for those on the front lines, clear terms of service, effective social programs (for example, a preferential mortgage after 2 years of service). According to Honcharenko, thanks to good conditions and a social package, it is possible to recruit 300,000 motivated volunteers without resorting to harsh coercive measures, and the rest of the citizens should work for the economy and the military-industrial complex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDE_hIDzzb4

All this sounds great, if not for the question of why he, as a deputy, is not doing anything to implement all these wonderful ideas, because he already has the opportunity to introduce relevant bills and work on their adoption.

[US7IGN]

After a hard week, everyone hopes to sleep longer, but the damned russian drones with their disgusting buzzing like giant mosquitoes and shooting at them woke me up before dawn. In recent days, attacks have continued daily and this is a bad sign, despite the good statistics of their downing. Especially since some of them hit somewhere, killing people and destroying infrastructure, production facilities and housing. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp869m2gzr0o
https://trueua.info/news/rankoviy-obstril-kieva-ryatuvalniki-zagasili-pozhezhu-i-pokazali-foto-naslidkiv

According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, over the past month, 5,935 UAVs and missiles were neutralized, namely:
Shahed drones and others - 6,463 UAV launches were recorded, 5,833 units were intercepted. The effectiveness was 90.25%;
Cruise and ballistic missiles - 138 missiles were recorded, 102 units were intercepted. The effectiveness was almost 74%.
The overall interception rate of air targets in March reached 89.9%.
https://mod.gov.ua/news/ukrainska-ppo-u-berezni-perekhopyla-ponad-90-droniv

Also, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in March the enemy used 7,987 guided aerial bombs (GABs). This is more than 1,500 (approximately 20%) more than the "record" February for this indicator. https://mod.gov.ua/news/u-berezni-rosijska-armiya-zastosuvala-najbilshu-z-pochatku-roku-kilkist-ka-biv

But the authorities, as always, tend to embellish reality, creating the false impression that everything is fine. Ukraine’s front line is in its strongest position for nearly a year, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, citing MI6 intelligence. www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/03/ukraine-is-in-its-strongest-position-for-nearly-a-year/

But in fact, in March, russia occupied 27% more territory than in February — 160 sq km. https://t.me/DeepStateUA/23359 Even if we recall Zelensky's statement in March that since the beginning of the year Ukraine has liberated 460 square kilometers of territory, in fact, 245 (January) + 126 (February) + 160 (March) = 531 square kilometers were occupied by russia, that is, the overall result is negative for Ukraine. https://lb.ua/society/2026/03/03/725332_zelenskiy_vid_pochatku_roku.html On the other hand, the fate of a couple of completely destroyed villages is unlikely to fundamentally change anything.

But if we talk about the war of attrition that Zelensky and company are fiercely fighting, it is worth considering at whose expense it is being waged. Zelensky is publicly pressuring parliament because Ukraine needs $52 billion in external financing this year. At risk is more than $3.9 billion from the Ukraine Facility (an EU support program for Ukraine) and another $3.35 billion from the World Bank if the necessary laws are not voted on. The vote is scheduled for April 7-8. www.reuters.com/world/zelenskiy-urges-lawmakers-act-ukraine-funding-hangs-balance-2026-04-03

For the week of March 30-April 3, 2026, the file of the National Bank of Ukraine's intervention results shows a sale of USD 888.45 million and a purchase of USD 0. https://bank.gov.ua/ua/markets/currency-market

The only good news is that Ukraine has received a grant from Japan totaling nearly USD 1.3 billion. The funds were provided under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA) mechanism through the World Bank’s PEACE in Ukraine project (“Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance”). mof.gov.ua/en/news/ukraine_attracts_a_nearly_13_billion_grant__the_second_tranche_from_japan_under_the_g7_era_mechanism-5661

A strong economy is not a consequence of victory, but one of the main components of this victory, emphasized Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov during a meeting of the Council for Entrepreneurship Support with the participation of government and business representatives, Ukrinform writes. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/4108487-budanov-na-radi-z-pidtrimki-pidpriemnictva-treba-vidkrivati-biznesu-novi-mozlivosti-a-ne-stvoruvav-bareri.html

Unfortunately, declarations do not make the economy stronger.