Ukraine has confirmed its withdrawal from the biggest town it held in Kursk, as Russia battles the last of Kyiv’s troops out of the key region.
On Thursday, Russia announced it had recaptured the town of Sudzha in Kursk, seven months after Ukrainian forces seized the area in its August 2024 incursion.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s general staff shared a battlefield map of the region, seemingly confirming it had withdrawn from the town and the surrounding area.
Ukraine is rapidly losing ground in the Kursk region amid a major Russian offensive to recapture land which Kyiv hoped could be a crucial bargaining chip in peace negotiations.
Moscow claims that recent advances from its forces have left Ukrainian troops with less 200 square km (77 square miles) in Kursk, down from 1,300 square km (500 square miles) at the peak of the incursion.
Citing a prominent Russian military blogger, Reuters reported that Russia had pushed back Ukrainian forces to the border in some areas, though intense battles were underway and Kyiv’s forces were fighting back as they retreated.
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Key Points
- Russia launches dozens of drones overnight
- 10,000 troops could be deployed for peacekeeping force - reports
- Zelensky warns Russian troops planning fresh ground invasion
- Military chiefs to meet in UK to discuss peacekeeping force
- Zelensky accuses Putin of lying about ceasefire
Turkish president backs Trump's steps to end war in Ukraine
14:48
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Athena Stavrou
The Turkish president has backed Donald Trump’s steps to end the war in Ukraine after the pair spoke on the phone.
A statement released by Tayyip Erdogan’s office on Sunday said that the Turkish leader “supports President Trump's decisive and direct initiatives to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.”
The statement also says he “emphasised that Turkey has been striving for a just and lasting peace since the beginning of the war and will continue to do so.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone with President Donald Trump of the U.S.
— Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications (@Communications) March 16, 2025
The call addressed bilateral relations between Türkiye and the U.S., as well as regional and global matters.
President Erdoğan expressed his belief that Türkiye and the U.S., as two allies,…
Revealed: Ukraine’s red lines for any peace deal with Putin
14:28
,
Jabed Ahmed
What is Starmer's 'coalition of the willing'?
14:09
,
Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer held a virtual meeting with 29 other world leaders to discuss peace in Ukraine.
The countries in the “coalition of the willing”, which include Britain, France, Australia and Canada, will discuss how to help Kyiv deter future Russian aggression in the event of any peace deal.
The leaders discussed how countries plan to contribute to the coalition of the willing, ahead of a military planning session next week.
13:49
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Jabed Ahmed
Trump and Putin to speak this week
13:32
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are expected to speak this week amid pressure for Russia to accept a ceasefire deal.
Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he expects the two leaders to speak after what he called positive talks with Putin in Moscow.
Ukraine confirm withdrawal from key Kursk town
13:08
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Athena Stavrou
Ukraine has confirmed its troops have withdrawn from the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region.
In recent days, Moscow recaptured the town which was originally taken by Kyiv during their military operation in the Kursk region last last year.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s general staff posted a map of the region, depicting a full withdrawal of its forces from the town.
Kyiv has denied reports that is has retreated from the Kursk region entirely.
Pictured: Firefighters work at the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Chernihiv
12:30
,
Athena Stavrou
Ukraine will decide on peacekeepers, says Macron
12:00
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Athena Stavrou
Emmanuel Macron has said Ukraine will have the power to decide whether Western troops are deployed as a peacekeeping force.
The French president said Russia will not have a say in whether the plan goes ahead, as plans for troop deployment become more concrete.
"Ukraine is sovereign. If it asks for allied forces to be on its territory, it's not something for Russia to accept or not," he told French media.
Putin’s troops say they’re close to retaking Kursk from Ukrainian forces – here’s why it matters
11:24
,
Athena Stavrou
Ukrainian forces are rapidly losing ground in the Kursk region amid a major Russian offensive to recapture land which Kyiv hoped could be a crucial bargaining chip in peace negotiations.
In an attempt to divert Russian forces from the brutal frontlines in eastern Ukraine – and embarrass Vladimir Putin – Ukraine smashed across the border into the Kursk region in August, the biggest attack on Russian territory since the Nazi invasion of 1941.
Putin visited the western region for the first time since its seizure on Wednesday, in a sign of the confidence Moscow has that they will retake complete control of the region.
Below my colleague Alex Croft details what is happening in Kursk:
Ukraine still operating in Kursk - ISW
11:12
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Athena Stavrou
Kyiv’s forces have not been completely pushed out of the Kursk region, The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said.
Analysis by the US think tank says Russian forces continued offensive operations in the area, but have not recaptured it entirely.
It comes after Moscow’s troops recaptured the town of Sudzha and some surrounding villages - which were taken by Ukraine in August last year.
On Saturday, Zelensky denied reports that Ukraine had completely withdrawn from the region.
'Putin doesn't want a ceasefire' - Finland PM
10:42
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Athena Stavrou
President of Finland Alexander Stubb has said the chances of Vladimir Putin entering peace negotiations are “abysmal”.
Asked about the Russian president’s willingness to enter peace talks, he told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “I think the chances are abysmal. I don’t think Putin doesn’t want a ceasefire. Putin doesn’t want peace.
“His original aim was basically to destroy the independent sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Basically to have Ukraine ceasing to exist. He hasn’t changed his aim and this is what all of us around the table have to understand.
“That’s why we have to maximise the pressure on Putin which means more sanctions which means using the frozen assets and which actually means militarising Ukraine to the teeth.”
Recap: What is happening on Sumy border?
10:10
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Athena Stavrou
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Putin could be planning an attack into Ukraine’s Sumy region.
On Saturday, Zelensky said Moscow had accumulated troops on the eastern border of Ukraine, indicating an “intention to attack our Sumy region”.
“We are also observing directions along our eastern border of Ukraine, where the Russian army is building up forces,” Zelensky wrote on X.
“This indicates an intention to attack our Sumy region. We are aware of this, and will counter it. I would like all partners to understand exactly what Putin is planning, what he is preparing for, and what he will be ignoring.”
Former UK national security adviser says peacekeeping force 'considerable risk'
09:59
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Athena Stavrou
Former UK national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts has said that a European force in Ukraine is a "considerable risk" without US support.
He told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: "To be credible, a deterrent force has to be willing to fight, so are we actually saying that this force might one day have to fight the Russians in Ukraine? I think it's a genuine question.
"And the way to avoid it, of course, is to have a cast iron American guarantee that if the force got into trouble, the Americans would come in and support. That's what the backstop means.
"I just don't think Trump is going to give that kind of commitment, so while I admire the work going into this, and maybe there are ways that European forces can help in Ukraine... I think a formed fighting force is a considerable risk without an American clear guarantee."
Wes Streeting responds to possibility of clashes between Russia and peacekeeping troops
09:46
A confrontation between Russian and British troops in Ukraine would be an “extraordinary escalation” by Moscow, the Health Secretary has said.
Asked what deterrence a peacekeeping force could present to Russia, Wes Streeting told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I think it would be an extraordinary escalation for Russian troops to find themselves in conflict with British troops.
“What Thursday is about, where the Prime Minister and the UK are convening military leaders from across allied countries, is about having a serious plan, a serious military strategy to secure a peace.
“And of course there’s a huge amount of effort that the Prime Minister is heavily involved in to negotiate the peace.
“So there are lots of moving parts at the moment, it’s moving incredibly quickly, and what the Prime Minister has tried to do at every stage is to make sure that we come up with a credible plan involving the Ukrainians that guarantees their peace and security, and Europe’s at large because our own security is intertwined with Ukraine’s.”
Minenhunter ships ready to be deployed as part of peacekeeping force
09:02
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Athena Stavrou
More details about the support the ‘coalition of the willing’ is planning to provide have been revealed.
According to The Times, two minehunter ships which were transferred from the Royal Navy to Ukraine last year are ready to be deployed as part of the potential peacekeeping force.
The paper reported that the ships are taking part in training exercises to prepare for deployment to the Black Sea - which they have been unable to enter due to the war shutting the Bosphorus Strait.
10,000 troops could be deployed for peacekeeping force - reports
08:43
,
Athena Stavrou
Over 10,000 troops could be deployed as part of the ‘coalition of the willing’ peacekeeping force in Ukraine, reports have suggested.
Sir Keir Starmer reportedly won over a number of countries in his virtual summit on Saturday, which discussed plans for Western troops to be deployed to enforce a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia.
A senior government source told The Times that Starmer has now received support from “considerably more” than the three countries that initially backed sending troops on the ground.
Around 35 countries have agreed to supply weapons, logistical and intelligence support, as military source told the paper that the force could be “comfortably north of 10,000”.
Italy rules out deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine - despite joining meeting
08:30
,
Athena Stavrou
Italy has no plans to deploy peacekeeping forces on the ground in Ukraine to support a potential ceasefire, prime minister Giorgia Meloni's office announced on Saturday.
Despite joining Starmer’s ‘coalition of the willing’ meeting on Saturday, where members discussed sending troops in the event of a deal, Italy have ruled out sending their own forces.
“The Prime Minister confirmed that Italy intends to continue working with European and Western partners and with the United States to define credible and effective security guarantees, reiterating that national participation in a possible military force on the ground is not envisaged,” the statement said.
It was not certain whether Meloni would join Saturday’s meeting, as she had been critical of plans to deploy a peacekeeping force in the past.
Trump narrows envoy role to just Ukraine
08:12
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Athena Stavrou
Donald Trump has narrowed General Keith Kellogg's role from special envoy for Ukraine and Russia to only Ukraine.
The decision comes after Russian officials had sought to exclude him from talks aiming to end the war.
"General Kellogg, a Highly Respected Military Expert, will deal directly with President Zelensky, and Ukrainian leadership," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"He knows them well, and they have a very good working relationship together."
Russia launches dozens of drones overnight
07:42
,
Athena Stavrou
Russia launched 90 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine overnight, Kyiv has said.
Ukraine’s air defence units said it shot down 47 of the 90 drones and that 33 drones were lost “in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them”.
Damage was reported in four regions in the north, centre and south of the country, the air force said without providing details.
What are Putin and Zelensky’s demands for agreeing 30-day truce?
07:30
,
Shahana Yasmin
Russia has presented the US with a list of demands for a deal to end its invasion of Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, it has been reported.
The demands were submitted to Washington after Ukraine accepted a 30-day proposal discussed with the US during peace talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
It is unclear what was included in that letter, but former senior British officials who focus on Russia have suggested to The Independent that Moscow will try to extract maximal demands from Washington in exchange for a ceasefire.
Canada pledges almost £27 m to Ukraine energy fund
07:10
,
Shahana Yasmin
Canada has contributed an additional CA$50m (£26.8m) to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, Ukraine’s energy ministry announced on Saturday, according to The Kyiv Independent.
This follows Ukraine’s receipt of the first tranche of a $1.7bn loan, secured through frozen Russian assets from Canada, as confirmed by Ukraine’s finance ministry on 13 March.
“As Russia continues its ruthless attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity, water, and heat, Canada is proud... to continue the important work it is doing to help Ukraine repair its critical infrastructure,” said Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly in a statement.
“Contributions to the Energy Support Fund are directed toward purchasing equipment necessary for restoring energy facilities after enemy attacks and ensuring the stable operation of Ukraine’s energy system,” said Ukraine’s minister of energy Herman Halushchenko.
Watch in full: Starmer gives Ukraine update after urging world leaders to keep pressure on Russia
06:50
,
Shahana Yasmin
Watch as Sir Keir Starmer held a press conference after hosting a meeting with world leaders to discuss peace in Ukraine on Saturday, 15 March.
The prime minister urged countries in his “coalition of the willing” to keep pressure on Moscow after he warned Vladimir Putin not to “play games” over a ceasefire deal.
Around 25 world leaders joined Sir Keir for a virtual call on Saturday, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
How Trump’s ‘America First’ MAGA movement turned the Republican Party into an ‘arm of the Kremlin’
06:30
,
Shahana Yasmin
Donald Trump’s Oval Office attack on Ukraine’s president last month appeared to mark a very public realignment of America’s sympathies - away from Europe and towards Russia in a manner that few could have imagined during the Cold War years.
The Republican Party, now dominated by Trump’s “America First” MAGA movement, once considered the former Soviet Union “the evil empire” under Ronald Reagan and relished its collapse.
Today, the GOP stands accused of parroting Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric and some even refuse to admit the plain fact that Moscow began the war by invading its neighbor.
Putin’s troops say they’re close to retaking Kursk from Ukrainian forces – here’s why it matters
06:10
,
Shahana Yasmin
Ukrainian forces are rapidly losing ground in the Kursk region amid a major Russian offensive to recapture land which Kyiv hoped could be a crucial bargaining chip in peace negotiations.
In an attempt to divert Russian forces from the brutal frontlines in eastern Ukraine – and embarrass Vladimir Putin – Ukraine smashed across the border into the Kursk region in August, the biggest attack on Russian territory since the Nazi invasion of 1941.
Putin visited the western region for the first time since its seizure on Wednesday, in a sign of the confidence Moscow has that they will retake complete control of the region.
Russia, Ukraine trade drone strikes as ceasefire prospects remain uncertain
05:50
,
Shahana Yasmin
Three people, including a 7-year-old, were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod border region, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram, according to a Reuters report.
Two of the victims were hurt when a drone struck their house, sparking a fire in the Gubkinsky district, while the third was injured in an attack on the village of Dolgoye, Gladkov said.Alexander Gusev, governor of Voronezh and acting governor of Russia's southern Rostov region both said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in their regions.
Russia’s defence ministry reported on Sunday that its air defence units destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones—16 were downed over the southwestern Voronezh region, nine over Belgorod, and the remainder over the Rostov and Kursk regions.
Ukrainian authorities reported multiple Russian drone strikes, including an attack on the northern Chernihiv region, where firefighters were tackling a blaze at a high-rise building ignited by the assault, according to Ukraine's state emergency service.
In pictures: Russian drone attack sets apartment building in Ukraine on fire
05:30
,
Shahana Yasmin
Keir Starmer’s steady leadership offers the best chance of forcing Putin to make peace
05:10
,
Shahana Yasmin
The coalition of the willing is growing. The attendance list for Sir Keir Starmer’s video conference was impressive. The United Kingdom is now at the head of a roll call of 26 nations in support of Ukraine. These included all the larger countries in Europe, including Italy – even if Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, repeated her refusal to put troops into Ukraine under any circumstances.
The European Union itself was represented, even if not all its members were. So was Nato. And there were the leaders of four countries outside Europe: Canada, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand. The coalition is also backed, Sir Keir said, by Japan. Canada was represented by Mark Carney, its new prime minister, who understands that his nation must stand up to Donald Trump as well as to Vladimir Putin if either threatens it.
Italy rules out deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine
04:50
,
Shahana Yasmin
Italy has no plans to deploy peacekeeping forces on the ground in Ukraine to support a potential ceasefire, prime minister Giorgia Meloni's office announced on Saturday.
The statement followed the ‘coalition of the willing’ hosted by Keir Starmer, where members discussed ways to bolster Ukraine’s security in the event of a peace agreement with Russia.
Meloni joined the virtual meeting alongside leaders from 24 other nations.
“The Prime Minister confirmed that Italy intends to continue working with European and Western partners and with the United States to define credible and effective security guarantees, reiterating that national participation in a possible military force on the ground is not envisaged,” the statement said.
Australia open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, says Albanese
04:30
,
Shahana Yasmin
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said Australia could offer Ukraine a “small contribution” of peacekeepers if requested, though he emphasised it was too early to discuss specifics until Russia agreed to a ceasefire.
Albanese participated in the ‘coalition of the willing’ call chaired by Keir Starmer, and reaffirmed Australia's commitment to standing up to “bullies” like Vladimir Putin.
“Vladimir Putin’s a bully. You know what Australians do? They stand up to bullies. They don’t get intimidated by an authoritarian leader engaging in that sort of rhetoric.”
He added that Australia would “stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes” and expressed openness to considering new forms of support. However, he noted that any additional contributions would be based on Australia’s “capacity and comparative strengths.”
“It is the right thing to do and it is in Australia’s national interest. Because what happens in the Euro-Atlantic has serious implications for our region – the Indo-Pacific – and vice versa,” Albanese said in a statement.
Starmer says plans for military support for Ukraine now entering ‘operational phase’
04:10
,
Shahana Yasmin
Sir Keir Starmer has declared that plans to put a peacekeeping force in Ukraine have now entered an “operational phase”, as Britain prepares to host military chiefs from a group of Western countries ready to support a ceasefire.
Sending the strongest signal yet that the “coalition of the willing” is pressing ahead with the pledge to back a ceasefire deal with troops on the ground, the PM said allies would be prepared to “help secure Ukraine on the land, at sea and in the sky”.
“We won’t sit back and wait for Putin to act,” the prime minister warned, vowing to “keep pushing forward” with the plan for peace.
Zelensky says ‘no encirclement’ in Kursk, Ukraine holding ground against Russian forces
03:50
,
Shahana Yasmin
Ukrainian forces are holding their positions in Russia’s Kursk region, President Zelensky said, after US President Donald Trump’s claim on Friday that “thousands" of Ukrainian troops had been surrounded by Russian forces.
“The operation of our forces in the designated areas of the Kursk region continues,” Zelensky said. “Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region. There is no encirclement of our troops.”
Earlier on Saturday, Zelensky accused Moscow of massing troops along the border and warned that if Russia rejected the US proposal, Trump's administration would deliver a “specific, harsh, and straightforward” response.
“The build up of Russian forces indicates that Moscow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy. It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war.”
Russia and Ukraine target key infrastructure in overnight strikes
03:30
,
Shahana Yasmin
Russia and Ukraine exchanged intense aerial strikes overnight, with both sides reporting over 100 enemy drones over their territories on Saturday, reported Associated Press.
The Ukrainian air force reported on Saturday that Russia had launched an overnight assault of 178 drones and two ballistic missiles. Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down around 130 drones, while 38 others failed to hit their targets.
Russian strikes targeted energy facilities, causing severe damage to infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to a statement from Ukraine’s private energy company DTEK.
“The damage is significant. Energy workers are already on the ground, doing everything possible to restore power to homes as quickly as possible,” the company said.
Falling drone debris in Russia's Volgograd region ignited a fire in the Krasnoarmeysky district near a Lukoil oil refinery, according to governor Andrei Bocharov. Local media reported that nearby airports temporarily suspended flights. No casualties have been reported.
UK to host further ‘coalition of the willing’ talks in London
03:16
,
Shahana Yasmin
Military leaders are set to convene in London this week to develop “robust” strategies for a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
Following a call with world leaders on Saturday morning, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that preparations for the peacekeeping operation would progress to an “operational phase,” with senior generals scheduled to meet on Thursday.
“Our militaries will meet on Thursday this week here in the United Kingdom to put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine's future security,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who participated in Saturday's call, has expressed support for a European peacekeeping force backed by the United States as a means to ensure Ukraine’s security in the event of a ceasefire.
What is Starmer's 'coalition of the willing'?
03:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer held a virtual meeting with 29 other world leaders to discuss peace in Ukraine.
The countries in the “coalition of the willing”, which include Britain, France, Australia and Canada, will discuss how to help Kyiv deter future Russian aggression in the event of any peace deal.
The leaders discussed how countries plan to contribute to the coalition of the willing, ahead of a military planning session next week.
Comment | Putin has given Trump a clear message – he still wants to win
02:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
After humiliating Zelensky into submission, Trump briefly put the ball into Putin’s court to accept a ceasefire, writes Jon Sopel. But the US president is not the master strategist he likes to think he is – and now has a crunch decision to make about what comes next
Pictured | Firefighters battle blazes in Ukraine's Kherson after strikes
01:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
Watch | Starmer sends message to Trump as world leaders discuss peacekeeping in Ukraine
Saturday 15 March 2025 23:59
,
Jabed Ahmed
Recap | Starmer's press conference following virtual meeting
Saturday 15 March 2025 23:00
,
Jabed Ahmed
- Military chiefs meeting in UK: Plans for a Ukraine peacekeeping force are moving into an "operational phase," with military leaders convening on Thursday to discuss security support.
- International commitment to Ukraine: Sir Keir held talks with Nato, EU leaders, and allies, reaffirming long-term support for Ukraine’s defence and deterrence against future Russian aggression.
- Ceasefire negotiations and pressure on Russia: Leaders welcomed the Jeddah peace agreement and Ukraine’s acceptance of a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire, urging Russia to agree and stop attacks. If Russia refuses, efforts will intensify to strengthen Ukraine and weaken Russia’s war capabilities.
- Sanctions and Russian assets: Discussions included tightening sanctions on Russia and exploring ways to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s recovery, though legal complexities remain.
- Coalition of the willing and military planning: A growing alliance is making new defence commitments, with discussions on how different countries will contribute military capabilities, potentially including UK troops and aircraft.
- Next steps: The UK will play a leading role in backing a peace deal, with military planning this week to ensure Ukraine’s security, prepare for potential deployment, and monitor any ceasefire violations.
