Our live coverage of the war in Ukraine has moved here.
February 25, 2024 - Russia-Ukraine news
By Heather Chen, Andrew Raine, Joshua Berlinger, Antoinette Radford and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN
Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, February 26, 2024
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Australia sanctions Russian prison officials over Navalny's death
From CNN’s Angus Watson in Sydney
Australia on Monday imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on seven Russian prison officers it accuses of mistreating Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny at the Siberian penal colony where he died earlier this month.
“Australia holds President Putin and the Russian Government responsible for Mr Navalny’s treatment and death in custody,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.
The Kremlin has denied having anything to do with Navalny’s death.
Australia has hit Russian individuals with multiple rounds of “Magnitsky-style” human rights sanctions since December 2022, when it first applied penalties to Russians accused of poisoning Navalny in 2020.
The United States and European Union enacted fresh sanctions against Russia last week in response to Navalny's death and Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky addressed Ukrainians and their allies Sunday as the war enters a third year. Here's what to know
From CNN Staff
Sunday marks the start of the third year of Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke at a conference about the year ahead in Kyiv, where he said at least 31,000 Ukrainian troops have died since the war began. The Ukrainian president also said tens of thousands of civilians in occupied parts of the country had lost their lives.
CNN cannot independently verify that figure, but US officials estimate the toll could be closer to 70,000.
In his speech on Sunday, Zelensky said Ukraine had "no alternative" but to defeat Russia, and reiterated his hope that the US would pass a bill through Congress to provide the nation with more funding. He rejected comments from Republican US Sen. J.D. Vance that more US funding would not change the outcome of the war, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins that “millions will be killed” if the US does not send aid.
If you're just joining us now, here's what else to know:
- More from the conference: Other top government officials also discussed the state of the country at the conference, "Ukraine. Year 2024." Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told audiences that half of the military aid pledged to his country arrives late, costing Ukraine dearly on the battlefield. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine expects to receive at least $11.8 billion from the US, as Congress remains deadlocked on a new foreign aid bill that would send $60 billion. And Prosecutor-General Andrii Kostin said 350 Russian war crimes cases are before Ukrainian courts.
- Overnight strikes: Russian missiles and drones struck targets across Ukraine late Saturday and early Sunday, according to local officials, but few casualties were reported. The targets included the city of Kostiantynivka and elsewhere in the eastern Dontesk region, in addition to the capital of Kyiv, where there was not significant damage.
- "Bolder" action: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the West must be "bolder" in its support for Ukraine to stave off Russia's military advance. Writing in Britain's The Sunday Times, Sunak called on Kyiv's partners to supply the country with more drones, munitions and long-range missiles. Sunak's remarks come a day after leaders of the G7 said they remained committed to supporting Ukraine for "as long as it takes" amid uncertainty in the US.
- Voting in Zaporizhzhia: In the latest example of the Kremlin trying to enforce Russian legitimacy in occupied parts of Ukraine, a Russian presidential election is underway in the southern region, according to Russian state media. President Vladimir Putin is all but certain to win.
- Alexander Lukashenko's bid: The Belarusian leader and Putin ally said he will seek another term in office when the country heads to the polls next year. Lukashenko's reelection in 2020 was marred by allegations of fraud.
Ukraine’s Zelensky tells CNN "millions will be killed" without US aid
From CNN's Ivana Kottasova, Andy Carey and Madalena Araujo in Kyiv
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that “millions will be killed” in the war against Russia if US lawmakers don’t approve President Joe Biden’s request for $60 billion of military aid to the country.
Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about a claim made by Republican US Sen. J.D. Vance that the outcome of the war would not change even if Ukraine receives the money, Zelensky said he wasn’t sure Vance “understands what is going on here.”
“To understand it, is to come to the front line to see what's going on, to speak with the people, then to go to civilians to understand … what will (happen to) them without this support. And he will understand that millions (of) people … will be killed. It's a fact,” Zelensky said.
What Vance said: Earlier this month, Vance argued that the Senate-passed plan for Ukraine “is not going to fundamentally change the reality on the battlefield.” He said the US doesn’t have the manufacturing capacity to pump out sufficient ammunition for Ukraine and still address its own needs.
Instead, he called for a negotiated peace with Russia to end the war, and complained there was no clear endgame for US policy.
More background: Ukraine has for months warned that it is running out of armaments. Zelensky said at a news conference earlier Sunday — just one day after the two-year anniversary of the war — that he was still hopeful more US funding might soon be approved.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, is under increasing pressure to bring the Senate bill up for a vote. He has so far resisted calls to do so, at risk of a likely revolt from members of his own party.
Zelensky says Russia could attempt new offensive in late May or early summer
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Russia could attempt a new offensive as early as late May or early summer.
"They will prepare, and we will prepare for their fight," he said Sunday at a news conference in Kyiv, following two years of war with Russia.
His comments come as the president reiterates his nation's need for more weaponry to continue the fight against Russia. Half of all military aid pledged to Ukraine arrives late, the country's defense minister said at a conference in Kyiv on Sunday, as concern grows about Ukraine's dwindling stockpiles of ammunition.
Zelensky added that the coming months would be difficult for his country because there's political uncertainty in the US. “The US elections will be a turning point,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader said earlier Sunday that the country is enduring its “most difficult moment,” but that he still has faith at home and abroad.
"If we all fall apart — externally with our partners and, God forbid, internally — then this will be the weakest moment. So far, this has not happened,” Zelensky said during the news conference.
This map shows the current state of the battlefield in Ukraine:
Schumer warns that Ukraine will lose war against Russia unless US supplies more weaponry
From CNN's Antoinette Radford
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a dire warning Sunday about the need to supply more aid to Ukraine, and vowed not to "abandon" the European ally.
Speaking after returning from a trip to the war-torn country, Schumer said this year is a "crucial moment in the history of the world," adding that a Ukrainian loss to Russia would also be "devastating in consequences for the US."
“This is a turning point, an inflection point as to the United States’ ability to project itself — our strengths, our powers, our abilities — in the world," he said. "When we went there, we told the Ukrainian people: America will not abandon you."
Key areas of need: The Senate leader addressed some key areas where Ukraine needed more supplies, detailing that they need more artillery shells, more weapons to disrupt Russian supply networks, and more anti-aircraft weaponry.
Schumer provided a few examples of ways that Ukraine is struggling to wage its war, including that he met a Ukrainian drone operator who was able to identify Russian artillery, but no longer had the ammunition to destroy it.
Schumer also said Russian forces could fire their artillery much longer than Ukrainian artillery could fire back.
"The Russians can stand further back, hit the Ukrainians, and the Ukrainians can't hit them back," he said.
Remember: US House Speaker Mike Johnson is under increasing pressure to bring Ukraine aid up for a vote, after Schumer and the Senate passed a package which would provide over $60 billion in assistance. He has so far resisted calls to do so, however, at risk of a likely revolt from members of his own party.
At least 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war with Russia, Zelensky says
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz
At least 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war with Russia, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, in a rare admission of his country's losses.
Zelensky disputed Russian claims of much higher numbers when it comes to Ukrainian casualties. The Ukrainian president also said tens of thousands of civilians in occupied parts of the country have been killed.
CNN cannot independently verify these numbers. Ukraine's battlefield losses are a closely guarded secret, but US officials estimate some 70,000 soldiers have been killed — and nearly twice that number wounded.
Some context: Throughout the conflict, Kyiv has been hesitant to admit how many soldiers have been killed. Former Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in June 2022 that he believed tens of thousands of Ukrainians had been killed since February of that year. But two months later, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, then the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, said 9,000 troops had been killed.
Russia, meanwhile, has lost a staggering 87% of the active-duty ground troops it had prior to the invasion, a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN in December.
Zelensky says he has hope for US Congress approving more aid to Ukraine
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that he has hope for gaining additional military aid from the US.
"I have hope for the US Congress, and I am sure it will be a positive solution," Zelensky said, in response to a question from CNN at a news conference Sunday. "Otherwise, I don’t understand which world we live in — definitely a different world. That is why we count on the US Congress. They know we need their support through the months ahead, and I met senators and bipartisan representatives."
Zelensky said the US is aware that Ukraine is in need of more air defense systems, and added the money provided for the additional support "will remain in the US companies — with companies who are the manufacturers of this kind of weapons which we need."
Some background: On Saturday, US President Joe Biden urged House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of Congress to return from a two-week break and pass much-needed aid for Ukraine.
The speaker has resisted calls to bring a Senate-passed aid package up for a quick vote — a move that would almost certainly spark a revolt from some members of his own party. While visiting Ukraine last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also called on House Republicans to pass the aid bill.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says there is no option but to win the fight against Russia
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz
There is "no alternative" but to win Ukraine's fight against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, as he addressed the nation one day after marking the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
"If we are strong enough with the weapons, we will not lose this war. We will win this war," he said.
He thanked Ukrainians for their resilience throughout the conflict thus far, and suggested a peace summit in Switzerland could take place in the spring.
“It does not mean that Russia will accept this document,” he said of a possible peace plan proposal.
We will bring you more updates from Zelensky's speech as they become available.