Frontline situation is ‘tense but not critical’, says Ukrainian soldier
A Ukrainian soldier fighting near the city of Lyman in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region has said Russian forces have intensified assaults in recent days but failed to achieve a breakthrough, despite increasing bombardments and repeated ground attacks.
Lyman’s complete capture is one of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s main strategic goals.
Russian troops had earlier sought to isolate Lyman by targeting logistics routes before escalating their offensive, according to the soldier, who gave only his call sign King, in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian units repelled initial assaults, destroying advancing Russian columns and inflicting significant losses in terms of both armoured vehicles and personnel, he said.
In response, Russian forces have increased airstrikes on the town, including the use of powerful glide bombs.“The situation is tense, but not critical,” King said.
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 09:35
Russia attacks Ukraine with more than 900 drones in one of its largest air attacks
Russia carried out a rare day-long aerial attack on Ukraine yesterday, officials said, firing 948 drones over a 24-hour period and killing at least seven people.
The assault began in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with Ukraine’s air force confirming at least 392 drones were fired from Russia overnight.
Russia also launched 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles at Ukraine during the night, hitting at least 10 locations across the country, according to Ukraine’s air force.
The major onslaught was followed by another 556 drones in the daytime, a pattern rarely seen during the four-year war, and making it possibly the largest aerial attack in a single day so far.
Russia launched swarms of Iranian-designed Shahed drones, hitting at least seven cities, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.
(Reuters)
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 09:05
Russia intensifies frontline attacks in spring offensive
Kyiv says a long-awaited spring offensive by Russia is now under way along parts of the roughly 1,250-kilometre (750-mile) frontline snaking along eastern and southern Ukraine.
The commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russian troops have in recent days made simultaneous attempts to break through defensive lines in several strategic areas.
“Fierce fighting unfolded along the entire line of contact,” Syrskyi reported on Monday, saying Russia had launched 619 attacks in four days.
“The occupiers are attempting to bring up new units and are preparing to continue attacks,” Syrskyi said, adding that Ukraine had deployed reinforcements to counter the assaults.
It was not possible to independently verify the battlefield claims.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Syrskyi’s report backed up its assessment that Russia’s spring-summer offensive is now underway.
Russia escalated its strikes from 17 March and has moved heavy equipment and more troops to the front line, the ISW said late Monday.
A Russian Pion self-propelled 203 mm cannon fires towards a Ukrainian position (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 08:35
Attack on Lviv church ‘utterly perverse’, says Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky has called the Russian attack on a Unesco world heritage site in Lviv “utterly perverse”.
“Iranian ‘shaheds’ enhanced by Russia hit a church in Lviv – this is utterly perverse, and only the likes of Putin could take pleasure in it. In Ivano-Frankivsk, a maternity hospital was damaged. The scale of today’s attack strongly indicates that Russia has no intention of really ending this war,” he said in a post on X.
Lviv regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi said part of the Bernardine monastery complex in the historic centre of Lviv, a Unesco World Heritage Site, had been damaged.
The attack stunned residents of Lviv, which lies closer to Vienna than to the nearest active frontline on the other side of Ukraine. Although it has seen some lethal bombardments during the war, they are far less frequent than in other major cities.
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 08:05
Half a million Russians without electricity after Ukrainian attack overnight, officials say
Almost half a million people were left without electricity in Russia’s Belgorod region after Ukrainian strikes hit energy infrastructure, the region’s head said this morning.
Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said power outages affected around 450,000 people across several districts, including the regional capital of Belgorod, with many residents also facing disruption to heating and water supply.
Night-time temperatures in Belgorod over the coming days are expected to hover around zero degrees Celsius.
Gladkov said that repair works have already started, but said that it will take several days to complete and restore the power supply completely.
Belgorod, which lies about 40km (25 miles) from the border with Ukraine, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes throughout the course of the war, which has now entered its fifth year.
A residential building during a power blackout, that according to local authorities was caused by a recent Ukrainian missile attack targeting the regional energy system, amid the Russia-Ukraine military conflict in Belgorod, Russia (Reuters)
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 07:41
Germany arrests two on suspicion of spying for Russia
German prosecutors said they have arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Russia.
Sergey N, a Ukrainian national, was arrested in Spain, while Alla S, a Romanian national, was arrested in Germany, a statement by prosecutors said, redacting their full names in accordance with German privacy laws.
“From December 2025, Sergey N spied on a person in Germany on behalf of a Russian intelligence service. This person was supplying drones and related components to Ukraine,” the statement said, citing the accusations in the arrest warrant.
“To this end, the accused gathered information online and filmed the target’s workplace. When Sergey N moved to Spain, Alla S took over his assignment no later than March 2026,” it added.
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 07:35
Latvia says drone entered from Russia and crashed
Latvia’s armed forces said a drone had entered the country from Russia and crashed in the early hours today.
The Baltic nation has faced occasional airspace incursions from Russia throughout the war, including a 2024 incident when a Russian military drone carrying explosives strayed into its territory.
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 07:10
War in Iran emboldening Russia, says Zelensky
The conflict in the Middle East has led to strengthening Russia which is working to prolong the war in the region, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“The geopolitical situation has become more complicated due to the war against Iran, and unfortunately, this is emboldening Russia. But the fundamental circumstances have not changed,” he said, speaking in his address.
Zelensky said Russia “continues this war and its destabilisation of Europe, supports the Iranian regime with intelligence, and thereby prolongs the war in that region, while also preparing for new conflicts in the coming years”.
“This threat of constant war across the map must be stopped,” he said.
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 06:58
Watch: Zelensky says Russia’s ‘extensive’ attacks hit 17th century world heritage site
Zelensky says Russia’s ‘extensive’ attacks hit 17th century world heritage site
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 06:34
Zelensky says only more pressure can persuade Russia to end war
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine can be ended only with additional pressure and significant losses, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
His remarks came after Russia carried out its largest single-day aerial assault of the war so far, firing 948 drones and dozens of missiles in 24 hours.
The attacks killed at least six people and injured 46, according to Ukrainian officials.
“The scale of this attack clearly shows that Russia has no real intention of ending this war,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.
“Without additional and strong pressure on Russia, without tangible losses for them there in Moscow, no desire will develop to move away from the war or return to peace,” he said.
(BBC)
Arpan Rai25 March 2026 06:15
