THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR BRIEF
Day 1102
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my followers here on Substack for those who wish to keep up with the news from the war.
All the latest news on the Russo-Ukraine War 6 days per week
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Mar 1 stated that day 1102 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.
The situation on the line of combat remains tense in some sectors. Ukrainian defenders continue to actively counteract the Russian aggressor, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. Exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continuing to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.
During the past day, 91 combat engagements took place.
Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 1 missile strike, 100 air strikes, used 2,449 drones and fired approximately 5,600 artillery shells across the positions of Ukrainian forces and civilians.
Air Force Daily Report
103 ENEMY UAVS SHOT DOWN, 51 DRONES FAILED TO REACH THEIR TARGETS (LOCATIONALLY LOST)
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On the night of Mar 1, 2025 (from 7:30 p.m. on Feb 28), the enemy attacked with 154 Shahed attack UAVs and simulator drones of various types from the directions: Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia.
The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and Defense Forces of Ukraine.
As of 08:30, it was confirmed that 103 Shahed attack UAVs and drones of other types were shot down in Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kherson, Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
51 enemy drone simulators — lost in location (without negative consequences).
As a result of the enemy attack, the Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, and Kyiv regions suffered.
Combat Operations in the Kursk Sector, Russian Federation
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Feb 28 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that Russian forces continued attacking in Kursk Oblast on Feb 28 but did not make any confirmed advances. Fighting continued northwest of Sudzha near Staraya Sorochina and Lebedevka, north of Sudzha near Malaya Lokyna, and south of Sudzha near Kurilovka. Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces are counterattacking near Lebedevka and Sverdlikovo (northwest of Sudzha).
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
There have been no major changes to the combat environment since our last report.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk Sector : Russian forces recently advanced in the Pokrovsk direction. Russian forces attacked near Pokrovsk itself; northeast of Pokrovsk near Tarasivka; east of Pokrovsk near Myrolyubivka, Yelyzavetivka, Promin, and Berezivka; southeast of Pokrovsk near Lysivka; south of Pokrovsk near Novoukrainka; and southwest of Pokrovsk near Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, Nadiivka, Uspenivka, Pishchane, Preobrazhenka, Bohdanivka, and Novooleksandrivka on Feb 27 and 28. Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Novooleksandrivka and Novoserhiivka (southwest of Pokrovsk).
Geolocated footage published on Feb 26 and 27 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced within central Pishchane and seized Zaporizhzhia (southwest of Pokrovsk).
Kurakhove Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Kurakhove direction. Russian forces attacked west of Kurakhove near Kostyantynopil and Andriivka on Feb 27 and 28.[55]
Geolocated footage published on Feb 27 indicates that Russian forces marginally advanced north of Andriivka (west of Kurakhove).
Velyka Novosilka Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Velyka Novosilka direction. Russian forces attacked north of Velyka Novosilka near Dniproenerhiya; northwest of Velyka Novosilka near Skudne and Burlatske and in the direction of Shevchenko; west of Velyka Novosilka near Pryvilne and in the direction of Vilne Pole; and southwest of Velyka Novosilka near Novodarivka, Rivnopil, and Novopil on Feb 27 and 28. A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Pryvilne and Vilne Pole.
Geolocated footage published on Feb 28 indicates that Russian forces advanced east of Burlatske.
Zaporizhia Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Russian forces conducted offensive operations northeast of Robotyne near Charivne and northwest of Robotyne near Stepove, Kamyanske, Novoandriivka, and Pyatykhatky on Feb 27 and 28.
Geolocated footage published on Feb 27 shows Ukrainian forces striking Russian positions in southern Pyatykhatky, indicating that Russian forces recently advanced in the settlement. Russian milbloggers began claiming that Russian forces intensified activity and advanced near Pyatykhatky on February 20. Ukrainian sources warned about a possible intensification of Russian activity in the Zaporizhia direction in November 2024, but ISW has not observed any indications that Russian forces are planning a concerted, large-scale offensive operation in western Zaporizhia Oblast as of this report. The frontline west of Orikhiv has been relatively dormant since the Summer 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
There have been no major changes to the combat environment since our last report.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing major to report.
THE HOME FRONT
7 injured in Russian drone attack on Kharkiv medical facility.
Russian drones attacked a medical facility in Kharkiv late on Feb. 28, sparking a fire in Ukraine’s second-largest city, the Kyiv Independent reported citing Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Drones also struck an area near a gas station and a building adjacent to a high-rise apartment complex. A shopping mall, car dealership and a fire station were damaged in the attack.
Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that all the strikes targeted central districts of the city, with emergency crews responding at multiple locations.
At least seven people were injured in the strike and 64 have been rescued, including a child, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.
Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine's northeast is a regular target of Russian missile, drone, and glide bomb attacks from across the border.
On Feb. 11, Russia carried out an airstrike on the village of Zolochiv in Kharkiv Oblast, injuring at least six people, including a 12-year-old boy. Three victims were hospitalized, while others received treatment on-site.
Zolochiv, with a pre-war population of 7,700, lies around 15 kilometers (10 miles) south of the Ukraine-Russia border and some 35 kilometers (20 miles) from the regional center, Kharkiv.
5 killed, 25 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least five civilians and injured at least 25 others over the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported citing regional authorities reported on Mar 1.
Russia launched 154 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. One hundred and three drones were shot down, while 51 were lost without causing damage, according to the statement.
Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast killed four people and injured six, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
One man was killed and three people were wounded in Odesa, following Russian drone debris falling on a one-story private house, an enterprise, trucks and cars, Governor Oleh Kiper and State Emergency Service reported.
Twelve people, including two 6-year-old children, were wounded in a massive Russian drone strike on Kharkiv overnight, according to Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office. The drones damaged a hospital and other civilian infrastructure. Over 50 people were evacuated from the hospital, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Four people were injured in Kherson Oblast as Russia shelled and launched aviation strikes at Kherson and 33 more settlements, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Russians attacked eleven settlements of Zaporizhzhia Oblast a total of 460 times over the past day, according to regional authorities.
In Sumy Oblast, 86 Russian attacks were reported by authorities over the past day.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that the attack caused damage in Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy and Kyiv oblasts.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Trump Showed ‘Restraint’ Against ‘Scumbag’ Zelensky, Kremlin Spokeswoman Says.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday said U.S. President Donald Trump showed "restraint" by not hitting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their shouting match in the White House.
"I think Zelenskyy's biggest lie of all his lies was his assertion in the White House that the Kyiv regime in 2022 was alone, without support," she wrote on Telegram.
"How Trump and Vance held back from hitting that scumbag is a miracle of restraint," she said.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy head of Russia's Security Council, called Zelenskyy an "insolent pig" who had received "a proper slap down in the Oval Office."
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, called the heated confrontation between Trump and Zelensky "historic."
Dmitriev was one of Moscow's negotiators in the Russian-American talks held on Feb. 18 in Saudi Arabia — the first since Russia began its Ukraine offensive in 2022.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Zelenskyy ordered to leave White House after Trump ambush in Oval office.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the White House early without signing a mineral deal with the United States following a heated exchange with President Donald Trump on Feb. 28. The Kyiv Independent reports.
Zelenskyy departed in his motorcade around 1:45 p.m. local time, without holding a joint news conference scheduled for later in the day, after the two leaders got into a heated argument while speaking with journalists in the Oval Office.
"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump posted on TruthSocial.
CNN reported that following the exchange, Zelenskyy and Trump left to separate rooms, with the Ukrainian delegation wanting to continue talks with the Trump administration.
Trump later ordered his officials to tell the Ukrainian officials to leave the White House, despite protest from the Ukrainian delegation.
A source familiar with the matter told CNN that the mineral deal between the U.S. and Ukraine was not signed following the tense exchange.
A White House official told Reuters that Trump felt "disrespected" by Zelenskyy's "rhetoric and demeanor," adding that Trump is not ruling out an agreement with Zelenskyy, but it will be up to Kyiv to reschedule the meeting.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 28, after meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House, that Zelenskyy "is not ready for peace."
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy commented on the meeting on social media, thanking the United States for their support. His comments likely come in response to Vice President JD Vance's assertion amid the clash that Ukraine was not grateful for the U.S.' support.
Trump may halt all military aid to Ukraine following Oval Office clash, WP reports
U.S. President Donald Trump is considering ending ongoing shipments of military aid to Ukraine following a heated exchange in the White House between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Kyiv Independent reported on Feb. 28, citing the Washington Post (WP) who spoke to a senior Trump administration official.
The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy ended without an agreement on a mineral deal after a 45-minute press briefing that escalated into a heated exchange over U.S. aid to Ukraine and the conditions of a potential peace deal with Russia. Trump later ordered his officials to tell the Ukrainian officials to leave the White House, despite protest from the Ukrainian delegation.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged the U.S. to continue shipping arms to Ukraine as a security guarantee that would strengthen Kyiv's position in future peace negotiations with Russia.
After taking office on Jan. 20, the Trump administration was initially inclined to stop all aid to Ukraine, but has since continued to send weapons to the embattled nation. The Trump administration has said it would not support additional weapons shipments, but has not halted weapons shipments that were started under the previous Biden administration.
Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his term freezing foreign aid funding for 90 days.
Reuters reported in early February that opposing factions within the administration had been debating whether the U.S. should continue providing weapons.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with $65.9 billion in military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
EU leaders rally in support for Ukraine and Zelenskyy’s following Trump ambush.
Following a public dispute between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump, European leaders have expressed their support for Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression. New Voice reports.
Here is a selection of reactions from Kyiv’s European allies regarding the appalling treatment of Zelenskyy by Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office on Feb. 28.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated, "The only obstacle to peace is [Russian dictator Valdimir] Putin's decision to continue this war of conquest,” he wrote in a Twitter post.
“If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine. Estonia's support for Ukraine remains steadfast. It's time for Europe to step up.”
Friedrich Merz, likely to become the next German Chancellor, wrote,
"Dear Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we support Ukraine in good times and bad. We must never confuse the aggressor and the victim in this terrible war."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed solidarity, "Ukraine, Spain is with you," he said on Twitter.
French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters, “Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim of aggression.”
“We all knew three years ago that we needed to help Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia, and we must continue to do so. By 'we,' I mean the United States, Europeans, Canadians, Japanese, and many others. We must thank those who have helped and honor those who have fought from the beginning. They fight for their dignity, independence, children, and the security of Europe. These are simple truths we must remember in such moments,” French broadcaster BFM quoted Macron.
Polish PM Donald Tusk assured, "Dear Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone," he wrote in a Twitter post.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu emphasized, "The truth is simple. Russia attacked Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor. Ukraine defends its own and our freedom. We stand with Ukraine.”
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda declared, “Ukraine, you will never be alone.”
Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre reiterated Norway’s commitment, "We support Ukraine in its just struggle for fair and lasting peace," he wrote.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Sweden stands with Ukraine. You are fighting not only for your freedom but for all of Europe. Glory to Ukraine!" the post read.
Czech PM Petr Fiala wrote, "We stand with Ukraine and the free world."
Latvia's PM Evika Siliņa noted, "Latvia stands with Ukraine," in her post.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote,
“Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people,” in another Twitter post.
“Stay strong, stay brave, stay fearless. You will never be alone, dear President Zelenskyy. We will continue working with you for a fair and sustainable peace.”
Dutch PM Dick Schoof declared, "The Netherlands firmly supports Ukraine now more than ever. We seek a strong peace and the cessation of this war of conquest initiated by Russia. For Ukraine and its people, and for Europe," he noted.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated, "No one desires peace more than the citizens of Ukraine!” in direct contradiction to Trump’s suggestion that Zelenskyy “is not ready for peace.”
“That's why we work together for a strong and just peace. Ukraine can rely on Germany—and on Europe.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau voiced support for Ukraine
"For three years now, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience. Their fight for democracy, freedom and sovereignty is a fight that matters to us all," Trudeau wrote on Twitter in the wake of the meeting.
"Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace."
EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, reiterated the general sentiment on Twitter.
MILITARY & TECH
Russian forces lose momentum for the third month in a row.
Russian troops occupied 192 sq km of Ukrainian territory in February, marking a decline compared to previous months. DeepState military analysts report.
DeepState noted that after reaching a peak in territorial gains in November, Russia’s advance has been slowing for three consecutive months – December, January and February.
"Despite losing momentum, with the pace of advance now comparable to last July, the enemy continues to suffer heavy manpower losses. The enemy's activity has decreased, although it has not ceased entirely, with the defence forces repelling hundreds of attacks daily."
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