Ukraine-Russia conflict newest: Belgium releases video displaying forces boarding Russian shadow fleet oil tanker | EUROtoday

Russia has condemned the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as “a pre-planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state,” demanding an immediate halt to the military campaign and a return to diplomacy.

In a statement posted to Telegram, the Russian foreign ministry accused Washington and Tel Aviv of “hiding behind” concerns about Iran’s nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change.

It warned the attacks risked triggering a “humanitarian, economic and possibly radiological catastrophe” in the region and accused the US and Israel of “plunging the Middle East into an abyss of uncontrolled escalation.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the changes in Iran brought about by US and Israeli strikes to be “used correctly” to ⁠benefit the country’s people who had withstood violence from their authorities.

It is important that this chance for change for Iran be used properly, he said.

Zelensky, speaking in his nightly video address, said Iran’s authorities had killed “tens of ⁠hundreds of its personal residents simply in current months”.

“The Iranian people have long effectively been alone against violence – against the Iranian regime. This regime, which has killed tens of thousands of its own citizens just in recent months, which has always fueled and organised wars in the region, which provided Russia with ‘shaheds’ and the technology for their production – this regime has brought this attitude upon itself,” he mentioned.

He added: “I thank everyone who is trying to prevent the war from expanding and who is defending against strikes from Iran. And I also thank everyone who tells Russia – now, based on the experience of the Iranian regime – that justice does come.“

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the time and place of the next round of peace talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine would depend on the security situation in the Middle East and the level of “real diplomatic possibilities”.

Zelensky said he would issue fresh directives to Ukraine’s negotiating team at the talks, without detailing what they were.

On Thursday, he had said the next round of talks would probably take place in Abu Dhabi in early March.

However, the UAE has since been caught up in hostilities after the US and Israel launched aerial attacks on Iran.

Belgium’s defence minister has shared a video of its forces boarding a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker on Sunday.

The armed forces had seized the vessel, which was suspected of sailing with a “false flag and false documents”, mentioned defence minister Theo Francken.

Dubbed the “Operation Blue Intruder”, he mentioned the mission confirmed “courage, precision, and determination.”

Francken mentioned: “Without his shadow fleet Putin can’t wage war against innocent Ukranians. So we take these vessels out. One by one. Till his war of agrgession stops.”

Prime minister Keir Starmer mentioned Ukraine’s experience towards Russian use of Kamikaze Shahed drones might be used within the Middle East battle as Ukrainian consultants will now present steering on intercepting Iranian drones.

“We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region,” Starmer mentioned on Sunday night time.

“And we will also bring experts from Ukraine, together with our own experts, to help Gulf partners shoot down Iranian drones attacking them,” he mentioned.

Russia has suffered an estimated 1,266,770 troop casualties since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in line with the figures launched on Sunday.

The Ukrainian ministry of defence mentioned the quantity consists of 870 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the previous day.

It has additionally misplaced 11,709 tanks, 24,108 armoured tanker autos, and 80,510 car and gasoline tanks, it mentioned.

Ukraine’s defence ministry has not revealed its personal losses, however CSIS estimated that Ukraine has seen 500,000 to 600,000 army casualties, together with as much as 140,000 deaths.

Russia hit Ukraine with greater than 14,670 guided aerial bombs, 738 missiles, and almost 19,000 assault drones over winter, Volodymyr Zelensky has mentioned.

In the final week of February alone, it used greater than 1,720 assault drones, almost 1,300 guided aerial bombs, and over 100 missiles to assault Ukraine.

Ukrainian civilians have confronted their hardest winter but as Moscow repeatedly goal’s the nation’s power system, leaving a whole bunch of hundreds with out energy for lengthy durations.

“But despite everything, Ukrainians made it through this difficult winter, when Russia did not even try to seek justification for its bestial strikes on civilian critical infrastructure,” the Ukrainian president mentioned.

“Evil must be confronted in every part of the world. When the United States and other partners show enough determination, even the bloodiest dictators ultimately pay for their crimes. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine defend itself and save lives.”

Russia fired extra missiles at Ukraine in February than in another month for at the very least three years, in line with new evaluation.

Figures from AFP claimed that Russia hit Ukraine with 288 missiles in February, a rise of round 113 per cent in comparison with the 135 missiles launched in January, The Moscow Times reported.

The earlier report was set in October 2025, when Russia launched 270 missiles on the nation, in line with Kyiv.