Latest news on Ukraine, covering the Russia-Ukraine war, peace talks, ceasefire, frontline updates, Zelensky, Putin, NATO, EU sanctions, refugees and drones.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched on 24 February 2022, has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The war has caused enormous human suffering, with over 15,000 civilians killed, an estimated one million Russian military casualties, and between 250,000 and 300,000 Ukrainian casualties. Russia occupies roughly 20 per cent of Ukraine's internationally recognised territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and large parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Fighting remains concentrated along the roughly 1,000-kilometre frontline, with the fiercest battles in the Donbas region. Russian forces continue to push toward key cities such as Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka in the eastern Donetsk region, while Ukraine has mounted localised counteroffensives in the south. Drone and missile strikes have become a defining feature of the conflict, with Russia launching hundreds of attack drones and guided aerial bombs daily, and Ukraine striking deep into Russian territory targeting oil refineries, military factories and energy infrastructure.

Peace negotiations have been under way since early 2025, with US envoys facilitating trilateral talks between Washington, Kyiv and Moscow. President Zelensky and a US-backed 20-point draft peace plan remain at the centre of diplomatic efforts, though territorial concessions — particularly over the Donbas — remain the key sticking point. A European-led "coalition of the willing", including the UK and France, has pledged security guarantees and the deployment of military hubs on Ukrainian soil in the event of a ceasefire, while Russia has repeatedly rejected the presence of NATO forces. President Trump's approach has shifted the dynamics, with the US halting new military funding for Ukraine and pressing European allies to shoulder more of the burden.

The humanitarian toll is staggering. Nearly 3.7 million Ukrainians remain internally displaced and close to six million have sought refuge abroad, mainly across Europe. Sustained Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have destroyed more than two-thirds of Ukraine's generation capacity, leaving millions with limited electricity and heating during harsh winters. The UN estimates that 10.8 million people require humanitarian assistance, and reports of war crimes — including torture of prisoners of war, forced deportations of children, and executions of captured soldiers — continue to emerge.

Ukraine's history as an independent nation dates to its declaration of sovereignty in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Tensions with Russia escalated sharply after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, which led to the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in the Donbas. The 2024 Kursk incursion, in which Ukrainian forces crossed into Russian territory for the first time since the Second World War, marked a dramatic escalation before Russian counteroffensives, reinforced by North Korean troops, pushed Ukrainian forces back. The conflict has also reshaped European security, prompting record defence spending increases and accelerating discussions around EU and NATO enlargement.

With the war now in its fifth year, staying informed about the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine is more important than ever. Our NewsNow feed on Ukraine brings together the latest headlines from a wide range of reliable sources, covering frontline developments, peace talks, Zelensky and Putin's diplomatic manoeuvres, EU sanctions, air defence and drone warfare, refugee developments and reconstruction efforts — giving you a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of this defining conflict of our time.

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