Putin offered to involve North Korea in peace talks on Ukraine

The Moscow Times reports that on March 27, 2025, Vladimir Putin proposed involving North Korea and other nations like China and India in peace talks on Ukraine, suggesting a "temporary administration" under the UN and these countries to oversee elections and a peace treaty. This move, made during a visit to Murmansk, aims to expand the talks beyond Western powers, leveraging Russia’s allies like North Korea, a key military supporter, amid stalled ceasefire efforts.The U.S. rejected the idea, insisting Ukraine’s future should be decided by its people, while critics view Putin’s inclusion of North Korea as a tactic to complicate negotiations and bolster Russia’s position. The proposal follows a partial Black Sea ceasefire agreed in Saudi Arabia, though ongoing violations by both sides underscore the shaky progress as of March 28, 2025.

Putin`s spokesperson has made a statement on the energy fire moratorium

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia reserves the right to ignore the agreed 30-day ceasefire on energy infrastructure, blaming Ukraine for allegedly violating the moratorium. He claimed Ukrainian forces do not follow Kyiv’s orders to halt such strikes.

Despite the partial truce between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, which included refraining from attacks on energy sites and ensuring safe Black Sea navigation, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities continue. Recently, shelling in Kherson left parts of the city without power.

Russia intensifies assault in Zaporizhzhia and southern positions of Ukrainian forces

Russia has escalated attacks in the Zaporizhzhia sector, increasing pressure on Ukraine's southern positions, according to Ukrainian military spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn. He said Russia is trying to advance as much as possible before potential truce talks, using small infantry groups to push forward near Orikhiv and Hulyaypole.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast holds strategic significance, and its partial occupation is a key objective for Moscow. A Kremlin-linked source told the Moscow Times that President Vladimir Putin is determined to retain these territories at any cost. While a ceasefire could freeze the war along current front lines, Ukraine is unlikely to recognize Russian-occupied areas as part of Russia.

Ukrainian air defence downed 89 Russian drones during the overnight attack

Russian forces launched 163 Shahed drones and decoy UAVs overnight on March 27-28, targeting Ukraine’s south, north, and center. Ukrainian air defense shot down 89 attack drones, while 51 decoy UAVs disappeared from radar without causing damage.

The attack affected Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Ukraine’s defense forces, including aircraft, missile troops, and electronic warfare units, worked together to repel the assault.

Russian attacks damaged infrastructure facilities and agricultural businesses in Dnipropetrovsk region

Russian forces continued attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight on March 27-28, damaging infrastructure and agricultural facilities in multiple hromadas.

Drones struck the Vasylkivka hromada in Synelnykove district, damaging an agricultural business, while another UAV attack hit an infrastructure site in the Petrykivka hromada of Dnipro district, according to regional head Serhii Lysak.

Putin proposes a temporary administration in Ukraine

On March 27, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin On March 27 speaking in Murmansk, Russian President Vladimir Putin Putin stated that Ukraine’s current government and President Volodymyr Zelensky are illegitimate, arguing that Zelensky’s mandate expired in May 2024 without elections, which Ukraine has postponed due to martial law amid the ongoing war. He proposed a temporary administration for Ukraine, potentially overseen by the United Nations and a coalition of nations, to organize new elections and establish a "legitimate" authority for peace negotiations. He claimed this would address the uncertainty of dealing with Kyiv’s current leadership, suggesting that without such a change, Russia cannot trust agreements with Ukraine, as future leaders might emerge. This statement aligns with Putin’s long-standing narrative questioning Zelensky’s authority.

A White House National Security Council spokesperson dismissed the proposal, emphasizing that Ukraine's governance is determined by its constitution and its people.

Ukraine retrieved bodies of 909 fallen soldiers

Ukraine has successfully repatriated the bodies of 909 soldiers who lost their lives fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announced on March 28. The fallen soldiers had fought in key battle zones, including Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, with some remains recovered from morgues within Russia. The effort was carried out in collaboration with multiple government and military agencies, including the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Interior Ministry, the State Emergency Service, the Armed Forces, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Office for Missing Persons in Special Circumstances. The headquarters also expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance in the process.

Under the Geneva Conventions, individuals who die in war are entitled to a dignified burial. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in an interview with NBC on Feb. 16, 2025. Additionally, nearly 380,000 Ukrainian troops have been injured, while tens of thousands remain missing in action or are being held in Russian captivity. Meanwhile, Russia has suffered significant losses, with the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reporting on March 28 that 910,750 Russian troops have been lost since the beginning of the invasion.