Ukraine
Eastern European country invaded by Russia in February 2022; the centre of the largest conventional war in Europe since World War II.
Last refreshed: 28 March 2026 · Appears in 4 active topics
Can Ukraine fight a war Russia is escalating while the West looks away?
Latest on Ukraine
- How much of Ukraine does Russia occupy?
- Russia occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine's internationally recognised territory, including Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.
- Are Ukraine peace talks happening in 2026?
- Talks are frozen. The Abu Dhabi Round 2 deadlocked on Russia's demand that Ukraine cede four oblasts. The Iran war suspended the US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral from 4 March.Source: Bloomberg
- What is the largest drone attack on Ukraine?
- Russia launched 948 drones at Ukraine on 24 March 2026, hitting 11 regions and killing at least 8 people. It was the largest single drone attack of the war.Source: Ukrainian Air Force
- Has Ukraine recaptured any territory in 2026?
- Yes. Ukrainian forces reclaimed 460 sq km in the Zaporizhzhia sector in early 2026, the first sustained territorial gain since the 2023 counteroffensive.Source: ISW / Harvard Belfer Center
- Is the US diverting aid from Ukraine to the Iran war?
- Yes. The Pentagon notified Congress of plans to divert million from the NATO PURL programme earmarked for Ukraine to fund Middle East operations.Source: Pentagon notification to Congress
- How many Patriot missiles has Ukraine lost to the Iran war?
- Zelenskyy told the BBC that 800 US-made interceptors were consumed in three days of the Iran war, more than Ukraine received in three years.Source: Zelenskyy / BBC
- What is happening on the Ukraine front line in March 2026?
- Russia's spring offensive reached peak intensity: 619 ground attacks in four days and 286 combat engagements on 18 March. The Pokrovsk axis absorbed 72 assault actions in a single day.Source: Ukrainian General Staff / Syrskyi
Background
Diplomatically, peace talks are frozen. The Abu Dhabi Round 2 deadlocked on Russia's demand that Ukraine cede four occupied oblasts before negotiations proceed. The Iran war consumed Washington's diplomatic bandwidth from 4 March, suspending the US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral indefinitely. The Pentagon is diverting million from the NATO PURL programme earmarked for Ukraine to fund Middle East operations.
Ukraine is fighting a war on two fronts: one military, one diplomatic. On the ground, Russia's spring 2026 offensive has reached its highest intensity of the year, with 619 ground attacks in four days and 286 combat engagements on 18 March alone. Russia launched 948 drones on 24 March, the largest single drone attack of the war. Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive reclaimed 460 sq km in early 2026, the first sustained territorial gain since 2023, but the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka corridor remains Russia's most dangerous axis of advance.
Four years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine occupies roughly 80% of its internationally recognised territory. The front line runs ~1,000 km across eastern and southern Ukraine. Zelenskyy told the BBC that 800 US-made interceptors were consumed in three days of the Iran war, more than Ukraine received in three years, exposing the zero-sum competition for finite Western munitions.
