Vladimir Putin has suggested placing Ukraine under a form of temporary administration to oversee new elections – a proposal the US rejected. Meanwhile, Italy’s leader questions a plan outlined yesterday by the UK and France. Follow the latest here.
Friday 28 March 2025 16:47, UK
We’ll be back soon with more on the war in Ukraine.
In the meantime, you can scroll back through today’s posts for all of the key updates.
Just as Ukrainian forces are losing their foothold in the pocket of Russia’s Kursk region they captured last year, they have staged a so-far little-publicised incursion into the adjacent Belgorod region, according to Russian military bloggers.
Several Russian military correspondents reported today that Ukrainian troops were inside Belgorod and fighting battles with Russian forces there.
Neither Kyiv nor Moscow has confirmed the reports, though Russia’s defence ministry said 10 days ago that its forces had thwarted five Ukrainian attempts to push across the border in Belgorod.
Ukraine’s military has not commented on any thrust into Belgorod region by Kyiv’s forces, though that could be for operational security reasons.
Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine’s National Defence and Security Council, suggested in a statement earlier this month that Ukrainian forces could act in the Belgorod region, „neutralising threats“ from Russian forces that might mass near the border.
And Rybar, a Russian military blog with 1.3 million subscribers, said there had been heavy clashes in a settlement called Popovka and each side was hitting the other with drones. Another Telegram account, Two Majors, said Russian forces were conducting „defensive operations“.
„There are constant strikes on concentrations of Ukrainian Armed Forces, but the enemy still has serious offensive potential for this direction and has not abandoned plans for further breakthroughs, including in new areas of the front,“ it said.
A third military blog, Arkhangel Spetsnaza, reported fighting in a village called Demidovka and said some Ukrainian soldiers were surrounded there.
The accounts have not been independently confirmed.
The Ukrainian operation may be an attempt to distract Russian forces as they try to drive out the last Ukrainian forces from next-door Kursk. One of the Russian blogs, Rybar, said Russia had moved reinforcements to Belgorod from Goptarovka in the Kursk region.
Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst with the Finnish-based Black Bird Group, said Ukrainian forces had penetrated the first Russian defences and advanced most likely to a depth of 3-4 km (1.9 to 2.5 miles).
But he said it was unlikely that they could stage a serious breakthrough and threaten any important Russians logistical routes or cities.
„The Ukrainians can, in theory, take some more villages from the border area, but that’s not what a breakthrough means – it’d be a small tactical success, but there’s very little to be achieved in the Demidovka direction at operational or strategic level,“ he said.
„There’s no proper element of surprise, and the Russian presence in the area is strong enough to at least conduct mostly successful defensive operations.“
As we have reported here today, Vladimir Putin has called for a transitional government under the auspices of the United Nations to be installed in Ukraine as part of any peace deal.
This suggestion had already been rejected by Washington and has now, unsurprisingly, received a similar response from the UN itself.
The organisation’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today that Ukraine had a legitimate government that must be respected.
A Finland-based satellite operator is to provide imaging data to NATO headquarters in Brussels, the company has said.
Privately owned ICEYE has grown rapidly in recent years and currently has a fleet of 48 Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites in orbit to observe the Earth, providing near real-time imaging. Its clients include Ukraine and other militaries.
Its satellite constellation works by bouncing a radar beam off the surface of the Earth from approximately 550km (342 miles) in space to build a picture of what is happening on the ground from the pulses, regardless of weather conditions or daylight, the company said.
The announcement on NATO cooperation comes at a time when Europe is scrambling to boost its autonomy in space-based monitoring and communications, with the European Commission pushing forward delayed plans for a 10.6 billion euro (£8.9bn) secure European satellite constellation.
Officials say rapid expansion of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation spurred efforts to shore up Europe’s so-called „digital sovereignty“.
While ICEYE’s satellites provide Earth observation, Starlink satellites deliver global internet coverage and enable communications.
„We are proud of the opportunity to cooperate and support NATO users and decision-makers with data from the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation, owned and operated by ICEYE,“ ICEYE’s Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder Pekka Laurila said in a statement.
„What the world has learned by observing the conflict in Ukraine is that future security of nations will be massively dependent on satellite constellations,“ ICEYE CEO Rafal Modrzewski added.
Both Russia and Ukraine have accused the other of an attack on a key gas transit point in Sudzha (see our 10.50am post).
Pictures shared by the Russian defence ministry show what appears to be a major fire at the site.
Much has been said in recent days about reported attacks on energy infrastructure, despite an apparent agreement to pause such strikes.
Russia has pointed the finger at Ukraine several times this week – for unverified attacks – and Kyiv has responded today again.
Its military said it „strictly adheres“ to an agreement to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
The general staff said over the past day that Russia attacked energy facilities in Ukraine’s city of Kherson and Poltava regions.
As we’ve been reporting, Vladimir Putin has called for a UN-backed temporary administration in Kyiv to allow elections to take place.
That, seemingly, would address a long-held grievance in Moscow over Ukraine’s „illegitimate“ leadership – despite Putin’s near 25-year time in power.
The US distanced itself from the suggestion – stating governance is a matter for the people – and we have had some reaction from Ukraine.
Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left no room for doubt.
„If Putin is once again struggling to understand who he needs to engage with to seriously move toward ending this war, maybe he should just pop some pills to kickstart his brain activity – assuming such pills still have any effect on him,“ he wrote in a post on X.
The Kremlin has wrapped up a briefing with journalists.
On Vladimir Putin’s suggestion for a temporary administration in Ukraine to allow elections – see our 6.47am post – spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the idea has not been discussed with the US.
Washington has said Ukraine’s governance should be a matter for Ukrainians.
But Peskov has said Putin mentioned the idea because Russia is worried that armed nationalist forces in Ukraine are gaining strength.
He has also said Moscow reserves the right to withdraw from a US-brokered pause on attacks on energy infrastructure.
That’s if Kyiv continues to carry out such strikes, he said, although those attacks have not been verified.
Ukraine has also accused Russia of attacking energy facilities.
He also indicated the Ukrainian army is out of control and not following orders from its leadership – though he offered no evidence.
Italy’s prime minister has been speaking to the media from the UK following a Ukraine summit in Paris yesterday.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Giorgia Meloni said the idea of choosing between the US and Europe is „childish“.
It’s „in the interests of everyone“ to overcome strains in the transatlantic relationship, she added, describing some reactions to Donald Trump as a „bit too political“.
„I’m conservative. Trump is a Republican leader,“ she said.
„Surely I’m nearer to him than to many others, but I understand a leader that defends his national interests.“
„I defend mine,“ she continued.
She said she hopes Trump’s „confrontational“ approach on European defence would compel the continent to take responsibility.
„I like to say that crisis always hides an opportunity,“ she added.
She is also sceptical about the proposal for a European „reassurance force“ to Ukraine.
„We have to be careful here. It can be seen more as a threat,“ she said.
Ukraine has reported drone strikes across Ukraine overnight.
Images released by authorities show emergency services working at the scene of strikes in Poltava, Odesa and Sumy.
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Ukraine war latest: US rejects Putin call over Ukrainian leadership – as European leader voices doubts on 'reassurance force' – Sky News
