Ceasefires, corruption, the coalition of the willing, neo-Nazis, deals involving the black blood… Here you can find the latest updates on the war in Ukraine, neutral and objective.

Since late 2022/early 2023, Russia has controlled approximately 19% of Ukraine, down from 25% in the first months of the offensive.

13-3-2026, 8:13:33/US government lifts sanctions on Russian oil

The measure will last until april 11 and is intended to mitigate the economic consequences of the Iran War. According to Moscow, it affects 100 million barrels of oil. With the start of the war on february 28, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, blocking one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments. Oil and gas prices rose sharply.

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7-3-2026, 19:04:52/US to deploy drones tested in Ukraine to intercept Iranian drones in the war against Iran

… the Wall Street Journal reported, citing official sources who indicated that the systems underwent a “baptism of fire” in the war in Ukraine. The report states that the US military has sent equipment to Ukraine in recent years to learn how to defend itself against Russia’s kamikaze drones, which originated in Iran: the feared Shahed.

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17-2-2026, 15:03:20/The Starlink Effect: Ukraine recaptures territory like not seen since the 2023 counteroffensive

According to the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Ukrainian army recaptured 201 square kilometers in just a few days, the largest recapture since the 2023 counteroffensive. The ISW attributes this to the blocking of Russian military access to the Starlink satellite system, initiated by owner Elon Musk at the beginning of the month. This allowed Russian drones to be electronically jammed and prevented from hitting targets. The recaptured territory is located approximately 80 kilometers east of the city of Zaporizhzhia.

For comparison: Russia captured approximately 244 square kilometers in december.

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16-2-2026, 08:48:56/Russia demands transitional administration for Ukraine

Russia has once again proposed establishing an international transitional administration for Ukraine, ideally under the auspices of the United Nations. According to Moscow, such a model —involving international actors— would make it possible to hold elections and produce a government with which Peace negotiations could be conducted. The idea was recently reiterated by Vladimir Putin and representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and ties into Russia’s argument that the current Ukrainian leadership lacks sufficient legitimacy.

Internationally, however, the proposal has met with clear rejection. Ukraine and Western states view it as an attempt to undermine the country’s sovereignty and impose political conditions —even though Ukraine has not an elected president for nearly two years. Nevertheless, the UN Secretary-General has emphasized that Ukraine has an internationally recognized government and that external administrative models would not be acceptable without Kyiv’s consent. Accordingly, the Russian proposal is currently seen as a political pressure tactic, for which, despite legitimacy, there is no discernible international support.

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10-2-2026, 21:27:34/EU aims Ukraine accession within one year

The European Union is currently engaged in intensive discussions about the political goal of admitting Ukraine to the EU by 2027, or at least integrating it very deeply by that date. These talks are based on internal deliberations in Brussels about an accelerated and partly novel accession model that goes beyond the traditional enlargement process. While official EU bodies avoid committing to a fixed date, they confirm that work is underway at full speed to significantly accelerate the process.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasizes that Ukraine has made exceptional progress and belongs politically and strategically to the European Union. At the same time, she makes clear that acceleration does not mean suspending accession criteria or EU treaties. Instead, models such as phased integration, “reverse enlargement,” or earlier institutional involvement are being examined in order to gain time without breaking formal rules.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is openly pushing for 2027 as a target year. For him, a clear timeline is a security policy signal —both to the Ukrainian population and to Russia. He states that Ukraine is ready to further accelerate reforms in order to meet EU requirements as quickly as possible.

At the same time, the main obstacle remains the requirement of unanimity within the EU. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blocking key decisions, prompting Brussels to look for ways to advance Ukraine politically and technically without formally overriding Hungary’s veto. Other countries that remain skeptical include France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

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9-2-2026, 17:43:39/Elon Musk cuts off Russian communications at front

Elon Musk has blocked the unauthorized access of Russian troops to his satellite-based internet network Starlink. According to media reports, his company SpaceX introduced a so-called “whitelist” system, under which only registered Ukrainian terminals are granted access, while devices that reached Russian hands via indirect channels were deactivated. This measure led to significant disruptions in Russian communications and affected, among other things, drone control and coordination at the front. Russia had obtained access to Starlink terminals through smuggling and unofficial channels, as SpaceX has never officially sold the service to the country. To bypass radio interference, Russia is already deploying drones equipped with up to 50 kilometers of fiber-optic cable. Whether this will be sufficient remains to be seen.

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8-2-2026, 10:21:43/55,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers

In an interview with France2, Ukrainian President Zelensky estimates the losses on the Ukrainian side since the war began almost four years ago at 55,000, including both professional soldiers and conscripts. A large number of people are also missing.

Fighting continues mercilessly in the meantime.

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3-2-2026, 7:46:51/Escalation of fighting

Kyiv was once again attacked by Russian missiles and drones. Several residential buildings, an educational facility, and other structures were hit, while air defense systems were active.

Explosions and air defense activity were also reported in Kharkiv and other locations.

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International politics

A plan to enforce a ceasefire with the support of European countries, the United States, and other partners has been agreed upon. It foresees military measures by a “coalition of the willing”.

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New survey on territorial compromises in the Donbas

52% of Ukrainians reject handing over the entire Donbas to Russia, even in exchange for security guarantees or a Peace agreement. 40% would accept such a territorial transfer, but describe it as a difficult compromise. 7% of respondents were unable or unwilling to decide. (Conducted between January 23–29, 2026, by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology – KIIS.)

Overall public sentiment has not changed significantly, even though the war continues intensely with attacks on energy infrastructure.

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Is India abandoning Russia?

U.S. President Trump has stated that India agreed, as part of a new trade deal, to stop importing Russian oil. In return, U.S. tariffs on Indian goods are to be significantly reduced, from around 50% to approximately 18%.

In response to Trump’s statements, the Indian government has confirmed only the tariff reductions with the United States, not an immediate or complete halt to Russian oil imports.

In fact, imports of Russian oil have declined in recent months as discounts have decreased and India has sought alternative suppliers.

For months, the United States has exerted economic pressure on India, arguing that imports of Russian oil indirectly generate foreign currency revenues for Russia that are also used to finance the war in Ukraine.

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1-2-2026, 20:18:03/Continued attacks despite agreement

Despite a truce, Russia continued its attacks, including drone and missile strikes on several regions of Ukraine. Cities such as Dnipro were hit, with at least 12 people killed and many injured. Some of these attacks occurred during the period that was supposed to be covered by the ceasefire, which is why observers describe this as a clear violation of the agreement.

Disagreement over scope

Russia argued that the pause applied only to specific targets (for example certain cities or energy facilities), while Ukraine and international observers understood it more broadly. This difference in interpretation is a key reason why the ceasefire is seen as failed.

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17:06:03/Kremlin confirms two-day ceasefire

According to official Russian statements from Moscow, President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a ceasefire proposed by Donald Trump that is limited in both time and scope. The Kremlin said that, following a personal request from Trump, Putin ordered a temporary halt to attacks on Kyiv until February 1 in order to create a “more favorable atmosphere for possible talks”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made clear that this does not constitute a formal ceasefire, but rather a selective and reversible decision without further commitments. At the same time, Moscow emphasized that Russia continues to see preconditions for any genuine ceasefire, including issues of monitoring, security guarantees, and the consideration of Russian interests.

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30-1-2026, 15:29:18/Announcement of a one-week ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to suspend attacks on Kyiv and its infrastructure for one week in order to alleviate humanitarian suffering amid extreme cold.

The Ukrainian side and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautiously welcomed the initiative but viewed it as a potentially important step — not necessarily as a formal, long-term ceasefire.

So far, Russia and Ukraine have not officially confirmed the arrangement in a formal ceasefire agreement. Statements to date have come primarily from Trump rather than from official declarations by both parties to the war.

According to Russian statements, the temporary suspension of attacks is primarily limited to energy and infrastructure targets in Kyiv, while hostilities have not completely ceased on other frontlines.

Ukrainian officials have expressed skepticism, noting that previous promises of ceasefires were often not honored and that military attacks continued even during earlier short-term truces.

By Okay Altinisik