Russians attacked Dnipro: 3 people injured, damagaed civilian infrastructure

On the evening of March 26 Russian forces attacked the residential area of Dnipro with a kamikaze drones. Three people were injured – a 48-year-old man and two women aged 75 and 78. All of them received treatment at the scene. The city has suffered damage to buildings belonging to businesses, educational and cultural institutions and over a dozen high-rise buildings. Over 60 cars were damaged and several were destroyed.

Eight Russian drones hit Kharkiv, causing mass fire and injuring 12 people

On the evening of March 26, a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv injured 12 people, including two children, and caused significant damage, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) and Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

The attack involved eight drone strikes, igniting four fires across the city. The largest fire, covering 2,500 square meters, broke out at a production facility. Warehouses, residential houses, and vehicles were also damaged. Emergency services are working to contain the fires and assist the injured.

In total, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 86 Kamikaze drones and 1 Iskander ballistic missile on 26-27 March.

North Korea sent 3,000 more troops to Russia

North Korea has sent approximately 3,000 additional soldiers to Russia in January and February to offset battlefield losses in Ukraine, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, as reported by AP on March 27.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously stated that North Korean forces fighting for Russia had suffered around 4,000 casualties, with two-thirds killed. Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, attributed their high losses to a lack of combat experience and reliance on human wave attacks with limited equipment.

Pyongyang has also provided Moscow with short-range ballistic missiles, 170 mm self-propelled howitzers, and 240 mm multiple rocket launchers. In return, Russia has reportedly supplied North Korea with oil products and advanced rocket technology.

Last fall, up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast to support Russian forces in repelling a Ukrainian incursion that began in August 2024. Ukrainian forces initially seized 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory before Russian and North Korean reinforcements launched a counteroffensive, reclaiming significant ground, including the town of Sudzha.

Returning Ukrainian children was the number one aim in the recent ceasefire talks - Zelensky

During recent ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine prioritized the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Eurovision News on March 26. The U.S. held separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Riyadh from March 23-25, after which Russia and Ukraine agreed to a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea and a temporary halt to strikes on energy infrastructure. Zelensky emphasized that, beyond these agreements, Ukraine’s main goal was securing the return of abducted children, a point that he felt had been overlooked in media coverage. The U.S. later confirmed its commitment to helping return these children and facilitating prisoner exchanges.

While acknowledging the partial ceasefire, Zelensky reiterated Kyiv’s willingness to accept a complete cessation of hostilities if Russia agrees. "Everything that brings us closer to any ceasefire brings us closer to peace, fewer losses," he said. Ukraine had already accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire on March 11, but Russia refused. According to White House statements, all parties in Riyadh agreed to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and prevent commercial vessels from being used for military purposes. They also committed to developing measures to uphold a ban on targeting energy infrastructure in both Russia and Ukraine.

At least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been confirmed abducted since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with around 1,200 returned, according to Ukraine’s Children of War database. U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Walz previously stated that securing the return of these children was a key "confidence-building measure" in peace negotiations. Ukrainian officials have made this a fundamental condition for any future peace agreement with Russia.

Russians struck Kherson, at least two people killed, many injured

Russian forces launched an artillery strike on the centre of the city of Kherson on 27 March, leaving two people dead and four others injured. Among those injured in the attack was an ambulance crew evacuating a wounded man during a repeat Russian strike. There has also been a partial power outage in the city.