By Ayomide Otitoju
Russia has urged a “cessation of hostilities” in what it described as US President Donald Trump’s “aggression against Iran” following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered to mediate the conflict, while President Vladimir Putin expressed “deep concern” over the unfolding crisis.
Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine war has entered its fifth year with little sign of resolution. On February 27, Russian forces reportedly escalated attacks on outlying communities of Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region, marking the first use of tube artillery in the area, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Kramatorsk is part of a “fortress belt” including Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Kostiantynivka, heavily defended by Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin has demanded control of the fortress belt as a precondition for a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said leaked Russian plans aim to seize unoccupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the southern port of Odesa and territories in Zaporizhia and Dnipro.
Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii reported significant gains, writing on Telegram that in February 2026, Ukrainian forces regained more territory than Russia captured, marking the first net gain since the 2023 counteroffensive. ISW estimates Ukraine’s net gains at 257 sq km (100 sq miles) this year. Syrskii said Russian losses over three winter months total roughly 92,850 soldiers killed or wounded.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian assets, including a strike by approximately 200 unmanned aerial vehicles on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, damaging tankers and military vessels, and an attack on the Albashneft oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai. Russia later accused Ukraine of sinking its LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz off Libya, resulting in the loss of 61,000 tonnes of LNG.
Russia’s condemnation of US-Iran strikes mirrors Trump’s calls for an end to Russian aggression in Ukraine. Lavrov criticized the US for allegedly ignoring UN principles, while Putin told Gulf leaders that Russia respects the sovereignty of other nations, despite ongoing operations in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy noted Iran’s supply of more than 57,000 Shahed-type drones to Russia, some used against Ukraine, and offered Ukrainian expertise to Gulf states to help intercept Iranian attacks. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed collaboration with Ukraine, while Ukrainian adviser Oleksandr Kamyshin said Ukrainian interceptor systems stop roughly 90% of Russian drones, with Syrskii reporting a 70% interception rate for Shahed drones.
The situation underscores the widening geopolitical impact of both the Iran conflict and the protracted Russia-Ukraine war, with global powers drawn into overlapping crises.
