First responders on the site of a Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia city in southern Ukraine, March 21, 2025

Friday’s Coverage: EU — More Pressure on Russia…But Division Over Rearming Kyiv

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1737 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the frontline in the east of the country.

Zelensky had discussions with commanders in Pokrovsk, a logistics hub defended for months in the Donetsk region, and in the neighboring Kharkiv region. He honored the fallen at a memorial

UPDATE 0749 GMT:

BBC Russia and the independent Russian outlet Mediazona have identified the names of 97,994 Russian soldiers who have been killed during Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The names of 2,000 soldiers have been added to the list since late February.

The outlets confirmed the deaths from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities.

They note that the actual death toll is likely significantly higher. An additional 10,000 reports of Russian casualties are currently being examined.

The confirmed deaths include more than 4,800 officers, 23,700 volunteers, 16,000 recruited prisoners, and 11,200 mobilized soldiers.

On Thursday, the UK Defence Ministry assessed that 200,000 to 250,000 Russian soldiers have been killed among around 900,000 casualties. The toll is the highest for Moscow since World War II.

Ukraine’s General Staff says 902,010 Russians have been killed or wounded.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Days after Vladimir Putin supposedly agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, Russia has killed more civilians in the south, north, and east of the country.

On Friday night, three people were murdered and at least 12 injured in a strike on Zaporizhzhia city in southern Ukraine.

Those killed were from the same family. The bodies of a father and his 14-year-old daughter were pulled from rubble. The mother died after doctors tried for more than 10 hours to save her.

At least 12 people were injured, as high-rise buildings and homes were set on fire. Among the injured is a 9-month-old infant.

Zaporizhzhia was also attacked with guided aerial bombs on Thursday night, injuring six people, including a 4-year-old boy.

Two people were killed in the Sumy region in northern Ukraine, as Russian forces dropped at least six guided bombs on the village of Krasnopillia.

In the Donetsk region in the east, one person was slain whehn three bombs struck the town of Kostiantynivka, close to the frontline.

Putin’s Broken Pledge

Putin told Donald Trump on Tuesday of his acceptance of a pause in airstrikes on energy facilities, while maintaining Moscow’s ultimata over an end to its 37-month full-scale invasion.

But hours later, Russia resumed its drone and missile assaults on civilian areas, and the attacks have continued throughout the week. Overnight on Friday, Moscow launched 214 drones, as an elderly man was slain in the Dnipropetrovsk region in south-central Ukraine, and another person was killed in the Kherson region in the south.

The Russians fired 179 drones overnight into Saturday. Air defenses downed 100, and others lost to electronic counter-measures.

On Friday evening and into Saturday night, March 22, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine. The attack damaged the Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions, as well as Kyiv, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. It was possible to shoot down 100 of the 179 drones. In total, five people were killed and several dozen were injured.