Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, defence secretary John Healey<\/a> said the world faces \u201ctwo conflicts on two continents, supported by an axis of aggression with similar tactics and similar technologies\u201d.<\/p>\n He said that over the last month, the UK had supplied Ukraine with 3,500 drones, 18,000 artillery rounds and three million rounds of small ammunition.<\/p>\n “I say this to the Ukrainian people on behalf of the UK: we will not forget the war in Europe<\/a> and our total determination to stand with Ukraine remains steadfast, and we will welcome President Zelensky to this country tomorrow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n It follows reports that the peace process between Ukraine, the US and Russia<\/a> is \u201cfizzling out\u201d with Donald Trump<\/a> preoccupied by the crisis in the Middle East.<\/p>\n Zelensky said the US had proposed hosting the next meeting between American, Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams, which include US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner<\/a>, but Moscow<\/a> had refused to send a delegation.<\/p>\n <\/a>Putin’s forces offensive disrupted by Ukraine, says Zelensky<\/p>\n Russian assaults on the war battlefield have had become less intense, Volodymyr Zelensky said after his meeting with Ukraine\u2019s top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi.<\/p>\n “Ukraine’s defence forces have disrupted Russia’s strategic offensive operation that the enemy had planned for March,” he said.<\/p>\n “Although attacks are constant and assaults continue, their intensity and the \u200bscale of the confrontation are not \u200bwhat Russia had planned \u2060and what its command promised to Russia’s political leadership,” he said.<\/p>\n Zelensky and Syrskyi have pointed in recent weeks to successes in Zaporizhzhia region, recapturing about 400sq km (154 sq miles) of \u200bterritory and retaking eight settlements.<\/p>\n Russia’s top military offices have repeatedly said their forces have \u200bbeen making constant \u2060gains all along the front line.<\/p>\n The Ukrainian DeepState military blog, which relies on open sources to determine the position of both sides, said Russian forces were attempting a breakthrough in Kostiantynivka and had made some gains around Sloviansk.<\/p>\n Arpan Rai17 March 2026 07:15<\/p>\n <\/a>Romanian defence ministry hunts drone fragments near Ukraine border<\/p>\n Romania’s defence ministry said on Tuesday \u2060it was looking for drone fragments reported \u2060to \u200bhave \u2060fallen near the \u2060village of \u200bPlauru \u2060across the Danube \u200criver from Ukraine, after \u200ca Russian \u200covernight attack on its infrastructure.<\/p>\n Romania \u2060scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to monitor the attack and alerted \u200cresidents of its southeastern county of Tulcea to take cover.<\/p>\n Arpan Rai17 March 2026 07:07<\/p>\n <\/a>IMF raises concern over Ukraine’s access to $8.1 billion aid \u2013 report<\/p>\n The International Monetary \u200bFund has \u200craised concerns that Ukraine \u200bmay be \u200bunable to tap \u2060its $8.1bn aid as \u200bthe country’s lawmakers stall on \u200bmeasures \u200bneeded to release the \u200cfinancing, \u2060Bloomberg News reported today citing an IMF representative.<\/p>\n The move could halt as Ukraine waits on lawmakers to release the financing, the official said.<\/p>\n The Ukrainian parliament has until the end of March to pass a series of legislative amendments that would raise taxes on businesses and households under the latest four-year loan program approved last month, reported Bloomberg.<\/p>\n Arpan Rai17 March 2026 07:00<\/p>\n <\/a>Ukraine had brutal plan to bankrupt Putin with his own war dead \u2013 until Trump\u2019s oil U-turn wrecked it<\/p>\n This is because Ukraine<\/a> estimates that Vladimir Putin<\/a> can only recruit somewhere between 35,000 and 37,000 troops a month, despite staggering sign-up bonuses, extravagant salaries, and a $165,000 (\u00a3124,000) compensation package provided to the families of Russian soldiers killed in action.<\/p>\n According to Ukrainian and Western sources, if Putin\u2019s ministry paid for all the Russian dead the war is generating every month \u2013 also estimated at around 35,000 \u2013 the cost would be $5.775bn (\u00a34.35bn).<\/p>\n Arpan Rai17 March 2026 06:45<\/p>\n <\/a>UK confirms Zelensky’s visit as government pledges support to Ukraine<\/p>\n Defence secretary John Healey confirmed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky\u2019s visit would take place on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Mr Healey told MPs yesterday: \u201cOver the last month, we have delivered to Ukraine 3,500 drones, 18,000 artillery rounds and three million rounds of small ammunition.<\/p>\n \u201cWe face two conflicts on two continents, supported by an axis of aggression with similar tactics and similar technologies.<\/p>\n \u201cI say this to the Ukrainian people on behalf of the UK: we will not forget the war in Europe and our total determination to stand with Ukraine remains steadfast, and we will welcome President Zelensky to this country tomorrow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Arpan Rai17 March 2026 06:25<\/p>\n <\/a>Russian air defences down 206 Ukrainian drones overnight<\/p>\n Russian \u2060air defence \u2060units have \u200bdowned \u2060206 \u2060Ukrainian \u200bdrones \u2060overnight, \u200cincluding 43 \u200cover Moscow region, \u200cthe \u2060Interfax news agency reported \u200cthis morning.<\/p>\n Arpan Rai17 March 2026 05:51<\/p>\n <\/a>Zelensky to visit UK on Tuesday as Starmer warns of oil \u2018windfall\u2019 for Russia<\/p>\n The Prime Minister said he would meet the Ukrainian president to maintain focus on the war despite international attention being diverted by the Iran conflict.<\/p>\n The rise in energy prices caused by the Middle East turmoil has benefited Vladimir Putin\u2019s Russia<\/a> despite the sanctions imposed to stifle the flow of funds to his forces.<\/p>\n The US temporarily loosened sanctions preventing other countries buying Russian oil and petroleum which was already loaded on vessels at sea to try to ease the pressure on global supplies triggered by the US-Israel strikes on Iran and Tehran\u2019s retaliation against Gulf states.<\/p>\n The conflict could also constrain supplies of air defence missiles for Ukraine because of the surge in demand in the Middle East.<\/p>\n At a Downing Street press conference, Sir Keir said he would meet Mr Zelensky \u201csoon\u201d because \u201cit\u2019s vital that we continue to focus on supporting Ukraine\u201d.<\/p>\n Arpan Rai17 March 2026 05:45<\/p>\n <\/a>Pictured: Sean Penn seen in Kyiv after skipping Oscar ceremony Arpan Rai17 March 2026 05:40<\/p>\n![\"Defence](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Russian-invasion-of-Ukraine-agfvcrg7.jpeg\")
Defence secretary John Healey meets Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv (PA)<\/p>\n![\"Ukrainian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Russia_Ukraine_War_01457.jpg\")
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky walks with US actor Sean Penn after their meeting in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office)![\"Ukraine's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR-1qfididr.jpeg\")
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky meets with US actor Sean Penn at his office in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)![\"US](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2266395831.jpg\")
US actor Sean Penn walks down a street in Kyiv (AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n