Russian attacks in Ukraine: Kryvyi Rih and Dnipropetrovsk hit hard

Russian attacks in Ukraine: Kryvyi Rih and Dnipropetrovsk hit hard

Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine - On March 17, 2025, the situation in the Ukraine conflict again dramatically. A Russian rocket attack on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih injured 11 people, including two children, and left considerable damage to several residential and business buildings. At the same time, Dtek, the largest private energy service provider in Ukraine, reported massive damage to energy infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa, which left some residents without electricity. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Moscow had started 178 drones on the night, 130 of which were shot down and missing 38, while Russia claimed to have shot 126 Ukrainian drones in attack on the Volgograd and Woronesch region.

In a further incident, Russia shot the capital Kiev and announced the recapture of the villages of Rubanshchina and Zaoleshenka in the Kursk region, where 371 civilians were evacuated, including 14 children.

political developments

In the middle of the military escalation, US President Donald Trump announced that the Russian President Vladimir Putin is talking about the end of the war in Ukraine. Putin asked Ukrainian troops in Kursk to surrender and promised them a life in dignity. However, Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj emphasized that territorial control was of central importance for a possible ceasefire and that Ukraine would not recognize the occupied areas as part of Russia.

The British Prime Minister Keir Strander accused Putin not to be interested in peace talks and asked Russia to hire the attacks and agree to an armistice. As part of the diplomatic efforts, Selenskyj appointed an official delegation for future peace negotiations, led by his staff chief Andriy Yermak and including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Macron made it clear that Russia had no say in the stationing of foreign troops in Ukraine. Umerov met in the Czech Republic and Italy with counterparts to discuss military support and defense cooperation. In a further step, Trump changed the role of Keith Kellogg to a envoy only for Ukraine after reports appeared that Russia wanted to exclude Kellogg from the negotiations.

geopolitical context

In order to better understand the geopolitical tensions, it is important to look at the historical context of NATO east extension. A widespread view of a "broken promise" regarding NATO expansion goes to George H.W. Bush administration back, where US Secretary of State James Baker explained that NATO would not expand to the east. However, these statements were viewed in a historical context, which concentrated strongly on German reunification in the early 1990s, while the questions of NATO membership were not in focus. According to Mikhail Gorbachev, NATO expansion was never addressed during negotiations.

The military conflicts between NATO and Russia have increased since 2014, and NATO took measures such as the Readiness Action Plan to improve security at the eastern limits. The process of mutual recognition and dialogue remained crucial, although NATO's operations and activities increasingly took place under the pressure of Russia's aggressive behavior.

In this tense situation, the international community remains in search of a path to preserve peace and stability in the region and prevent future confrontations.

For detailed information and regular updates to this conflict, please visit Al Jazera and Atlantic Forum .