Ukraine fighting intensifies
Fighting in Ukraine has intensified as winter thaw opens new front‑line activity and drone/energy impacts are rising, with analysts warning Kyiv and Moscow are gearing up amid wider regional distractions. ( )
Russian forces mounted a massive multi‑vector strike on the night of March 23–24, firing almost 400 long‑range attack drones alongside dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles and striking at least 10 locations across Ukraine. (abcnews.com) (abcnews.com) The Institute for the Study of War assessed that a Spring–Summer 2026 offensive likely began after a spike in mechanized and motorized assaults from March 17 and visible heavy equipment movements on the front. (understandingwar.org) (understandingwar.org) Analysts on the ground say the thawed, firmer spring terrain has reopened avenues for offensive operations, with renewed fighting reported in sectors of Donetsk Oblast near Pokrovsk and other eastern localities. (kyivindependent.com) (kyivindependent.com) Russia’s winter campaign against Ukraine’s energy system left the grid able to meet only about 60% of national electricity demand in January 2026 and triggered prolonged blackouts, including emergency outages across nine regions. (csis.org) (csis.org) U.S. and allied attention has been diverted by a widening Middle East war, prompting reports that the Pentagon has considered redirecting some planned Ukraine military aid to the region and delaying trilateral talks in mid‑March. (euronews.com) (euronews.com) Multiple analysts and Western outlets say Kyiv and Moscow are visibly gearing up for extended spring operations even as U.S. and NATO air‑defense inventories face renewed strain from competing demands in the Middle East. (pbs.org) (pbs.org)
