𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh round of a spring offensive in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Talking to the French news publication Le Figaro, Mr Zelensky said that the Russian president Vladimir Putin is attempting to delay ongoing peace negotiations to buy time for an offensive against Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts in Spring 2025.

He added that Russia wanted to storm these already besieged parts of Ukraine in the fall last year but had to deploy these resources to Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk oblast in August.

Intensified ground operations by Russia are likely in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhia oblasts, Mr Zelensky said.

But what are these minerals exactly and why are they so sought after?

Ukraine is often recognised for its vast agricultural lands and industrial heritage, but beneath its surface lies one of the world’s most remarkable geological formations, the “Ukrainian Shield”.

This massive, exposed crystalline rock formed over 2.5 billion years ago, stretches across much of Ukraine. It represents one of Earth’s oldest and most stable continental blocks.

The minerals have become central to global politics, writes Munira Raji:

Vladimir Putin suggested Ukraine be placed under a form of temporary administration, by removal of the current Volodymyr Zelensky administration, to allow for new elections and the signature of key accords to reach a settlement in the war, Russian news agencies reported early today.

“In principle, of course, a temporary administration could be introduced in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN, the United States, European countries and our partners,” Mr Putin was quoted as saying in talks with seamen at the port.

“This would be in order to hold democratic elections and bring to power a capable government enjoying the trust of the people and then to start talks with them about a peace treaty,” he said.

Moscow has wrongly claimed that the Zelensky administration in Kyiv is “illegitimate” as they did not hold elections last year. However, the Ukrainian constitution says no elections can be held in a war-time period and while the country is under martial law.

Mr Putin also appreciated Donald Trump’s efforts to proceed with direct talks with Russia – in contrast with his predecessor Joe Biden, who shunned contacts – showed the new president wanted peace.

“In my opinion, the newly elected president of the United States sincerely wants an end to the conflict for a number of reasons,” the agencies quoted him as saying.

Vladimir Putin has attended the launch of a new nuclear-powered submarine named Perm on Wednesday, various Russian news outlets reported.

The Russian president said the vessel would “strengthen Russia’s maritime security and safeguard its national interests,” particularly in regions like the Arctic.

“I hereby authorise,” the Russian president said as he commissioned the submarine named after the city Perm in the Urals.

The new Russian submarine is likely to be first of its kind to be equipped with hypersonic Zircon missiles as a standard feature.

Russia’s Zircon missiles are considered highly difficult to intercept as they are reported to fly at several times the speed of sound and have a range of nearly 1,000km.

A Harvard scientist who fled Russia because she opposed the war in Ukraine is facing deportation back to the land of Vladimir Putin, her friends claim.

Kseniia Petrova, a bioinformatician at the Kirschner Lab at Harvard Medical School, was detained at the US border on 16 February while returning from France and had her visa revoked, according to her friend Cora Anderson.

Vladimir Putin has said Donald Trump’s stated intention to acquire Greenland was “serious”, and it was clear that the US would continue to promote its interests in the Arctic.

Mr Putin said Russia was willing to cooperate with foreign partners, including from the West, in economic ventures there that will benefit all sides.

However, he clarified that the Greenland question had nothing to do with Russia.

Focus on the Arctic’s strategic importance for mining, shipping and security has increased sharply because of repeated statements by Mr Trump that he wants to acquire Greenland. He has not ruled out doing so by force.

Russia is increasingly prioritising its production of high-precision missiles, according to the latest targeted attacks by Ukraine, said a US-based think tank.

“The Ukrainian General Staff reported that the 19 to 20 March Ukrainian drone strike against Russia’s Engels Airbase destroyed a large number of cruise missiles and strategic fuel reserves as Ukrainian officials reported that Russia is prioritising the production of high-precision missiles,” the Institute for the Study of War said.

It added: “The Ukrainian General Staff reported on March 27 that the Ukrainian drone strike destroyed 96 air-launched cruise missiles and that Russian forces intended to use these missiles in at least three separate strike series against Ukraine on unspecified dates in March and April 2025.”

Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation Head Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko also pointed out last week that the Engels Airbase stored Kh-101 cruise missiles, suggesting that many or all of the 96 destroyed missiles were Kh-101s.

It is not the full ceasefire Donald Trump is continuing to push for three years into Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but the move is seen as progress by the White House.

A US delegation held separate talks with counterparts from Russia and Ukraine over three days into Tuesday.

But how long the current deal will hold – and even when it officially begins – remains uncertain after Russia carried out drone strikes on a key Ukrainian port city overnight.

This is what we know about the deal.

Some 30 leaders have gathered to discuss Ukraine’s ongoing security after the US brokered a ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv over the Black Sea earlier this week, which the Kremlin says cannot commence unless certain conditions are met.

Here’s the list of all world leaders part of Sir Keir-led coalition:

Vladimir Putin has praised the efforts in seeking a solution from the BRICS grouping it promotes as an alternative to traditional alliances – singling out China and India for praise.

He said Russia was ready to cooperate with many countries, including North Korea, to help end the war.

Western and Ukrainian sources say more than 11,000 North Korean troops have been sent to bolster Russian forces in the Kursk region, although Moscow has not confirmed this.

Additionally, Mr Putin said Russia was also ready to work with Europe, but adding that Europe “conducts itself in inconsistent fashion”.

European countries, he said, were trying “lead us around by the nose, but it’s okay, we’ve become used to it. I hope that we won’t make any mistakes based on excessive trust in our so-called partners.”