Saturday, March 8
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Valentyna Guk searches for pieces of glass for mosaic fragments among debris of a heavily damaged building in Kharkiv on March 7, 2025. Valentyna, a 21-year-old Ukrainian artist, creates mosaics from broken glass. After the shelling, she collects interestingly shaped pieces of glass and then assembles them into separate mosaic forms, which she later hangs on the facades of buildings. In total, six of her mosaic works are on the streets of Kharkiv, and one is in Izium. (Ivan Samoilov / AFP via Getty Images)
Trump accuses Ukraine of being ‘more difficult to deal with’ than Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump finds it more difficult to deal with Kyiv than with Moscow, despite the fact that “Russia is bombing the hell out of Ukraine,” he said during a White House briefing on March 7.
Russia reportedly breaks through in Kursk Oblast; Ukraine’s military says ‘no comment.’ “Difficult battles continue in the border area of Sumy Oblast, Russian assault units are attempting to breakthrough and move toward a highway from Yunakivka to Sudzha in Kursk Oblast,” said Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
Ukrainian troops’ logistics in Kursk Oblast destroyed, face risk of encirclement, sources say. A Ukrainian soldier fighting in Kursk Oblast described the situation in the Russian region as “critical,” warning that Ukrainian troops in the region face the threat of encirclement. He added that Ukrainian soldiers based in the region would like to withdraw.
Trump says he considers sanctioning Russia because it’s ‘pounding’ Ukraine.
“I am strongly considering large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions, and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Discussions with Trump team currently ‘most intensive work to date,’ Zelensky says. “The agenda is clear – peace as soon as possible, security as reliable as possible. Ukraine is committed to the most constructive approach,” Zelensky said on March 7.
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Putin might consider conditional truce in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. The Kremlin insists on organizing the framework of a pottential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. This includes deciding what countries would take part in a peacekeeping force, a person familiar with the issue told Bloomberg.
Trump’s cryptic Russia comment ‘probably just bluster,’ experts say.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim to be the only person who knows why Russia wants to “make a deal” and end the war in Ukraine is “probably just bluster,” experts have told the Kyiv Independent. Speaking to reporters in the White House on March 6, Trump addressed his ongoing
Ukraine wasn’t officially asked by US to make territorial concessions, Foreign Ministry says. “We have not received such proposals,” spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said during a press briefing, downplaying the significance of “certain formulations that could be heard in the media.”
Drones target Bryansk Oblast in overnight attack. A military food ration factory in the town of Starodub was targeted in the overnight attack, local officials claimed.
Ukraine’s DTEK gas production facilities shut down after Russian attack.
Ukraine’s main gas production facilities are in front-line regions like Kharkiv and Poltava, making them vulnerable to Russian attacks. Strikes on gas infrastructure have repeatedly reduced production, at times by 40%.
Read our exclusives
‘We will adapt’ — Ukraine’s soldiers say after US intel cut
Days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a pause in sharing U.S. intelligence, the Ukrainian military has reported little effect from that decision on the front. The pause is likely to have a higher toll on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Photo: Aria Shahrokhshahi / The Kyiv Independent
In Kyiv, Trump’s intel freeze raises fears of Russian missiles striking without warning
Trump announced the move amid sharply deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington, as he strong-arms Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into acquiescing to his plans for peace talks with Russia.
Photo: The Kyiv Independent
As protests engulf Serbia, President Vucic looks for support East and West
Serbia’s Russia-friendly President Aleksandar Vucic often used a Kremlin playbook to discredit the protests that occasionally rise in a country balancing between Russia and the West.
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Czech weapons giant replacing the Kalashnikov in Ukraine’s army
The Russian-made Kalashnikov still prevails as the main small arm in Ukraine’s military. A Czech weapons giant is setting up shop in Ukraine’s factories to change that.
Photo: Colt CZ
Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian troops’ logistics in Kursk Oblast destroyed, they face risk of encirclement, sources say
The Ukrainian battlefield monitoring group DeepState has confirmed a push deep into Ukrainian positions toward the Ukrainian state border in Sumy Oblast.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian attack on Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast kills 4, injures 18. Russian forces launched multiple strikes on Dobropillia late on March 7, damaging at least four apartment buildings.
2 killed, 24 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least two people and injured 24 others over the past day, regional officials reported on March 7.
Opinions and insights
The case against European rearmament
“In a display of breathtaking hypocrisy, the many ‘Putin is the new Hitler’ speeches never resulted in a commitment to fight alongside the Ukrainians until Putin’s army was defeated on the ground,” writes Yanis Varoufakis.
Photo: Justin Tallis / Pool / AFP via Getty Images
Trump’s aid cuts could trap Eastern Europe in a disinformation bubble
“Georgia is in a grim state. Once vibrant, welcoming, and hopeful, it has become a country where peaceful protesters are beaten and journalists are branded as traitors. In the Georgia of 2025, war is called peace, and slavery is called freedom,” writes Mariam Nikuradze.
Photo: Mirian Meladze / Anadolu via Getty Images
International response
Republicans urge Trump to resume military, intelligence assistance to Ukraine.
Some Republican lawmakers warned that a too long pause in military aid could have a devastating effect on Ukraine’s combat capabilities and undermine its leverage in talks with Moscow.
Ukraine receives $970 million from UK under G7 loan covered by Russian assets. “The funds will go towards strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on March 7.
Maxar Technologies reportedly restricts Ukraine’s access to satellite imagery.
Kyiv has relied on high-resolution satellite images for defense and strategic planning, tracking Russian troop movements, assessing battlefield conditions, and monitoring Russian infrastructure damage.
Von der Leyen seeks to give Ukraine access to EU single market as part of peace deal, Telegraph reports. Such a move could bring a boost to Ukraine’s war-torn economy with the country’s defense industry as a key element of the EU plan, the Telegraph reported. Tariff-free access to Ukrainian weapons will bring Kyiv funds while increasing the arsenals of EU countries, according to the newspaper.
Germany should reduce reliance on US arms amid geopolitical shifts, Airbus Defense and Space CEO says. Denmark may already be realizing that purchasing U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets was a questionable decision, particularly “if they actually had to defend Greenland,” the CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, Michael Schollhorn, said.
In other news
Voice of America correspondent Ostap Yarysh fired following DOGE review.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Ostap Yarysh, who joined VOA’s Ukrainian service in 2019, has focused on covering U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.
Ukraine signs LNG deal with Poland’s Orlen amid Russian attacks. “Partnering with Orlen strengthens energy security, diversifies supply routes, and accelerates Ukraine’s integration into the European gas market,” said Roman Chumak, CEO of Naftogaz.
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Comments
March 8, 2025 13:53
@the_kyiv_independent @ukraineinvasion
A general enquiry.
Are there any politicians that live in #Russia that are against, & are brave enough to say "the Russian invasion of Ukraine"
Just saying, a democratic leadership change in Russia, is how to end the #Russian #Ukraine #war.