Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for a "cessation of hostilities" following what he described as "unprovoked, coordinated attacks" by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, offering Moscow's mediation in the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed "deep concern," but these appeals come against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine, highlighting perceived hypocrisy in Moscow's foreign policy stance.
Meanwhile, Russian forces escalated their offensive in Ukraine, shelling the outskirts of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region on February 27. Kramatorsk is part of a "fortress belt" along with Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Kostiantynivka, which Ukraine has heavily fortified for defense. Putin has demanded the surrender of this belt as a condition for a ceasefire, underscoring the entrenched positions in the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters he had seen leaked documents outlining Russian war plans, which include seizing unoccupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in an offensive beginning this month. The plans also allegedly aim to capture the port city of Odesa and large swathes of Zaporizhia and Dnipro regions. However, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskii stated that the situation is not favorable for Russia.
Syrskii wrote on Telegram that in February, Ukrainian forces regained control over more territory than the enemy could seize for the first time since the Kursk offensive operation. He reported that total Russian losses over the three winter months amounted to approximately 92,850 soldiers killed and wounded. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimated Ukraine's net territorial gains this year at 257 square kilometers.
In the past week, Ukraine scored several significant strikes. An estimated 200 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles attacked the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, destroying an oil terminal and damaging six of seven moored tankers. They also damaged electronic warfare and radar systems on the frigate Admiral Essen, the minesweeper Valentin Pikul, and the anti-submarine warfare corvettes Yeysk and Kasimov. On the same night, Ukraine struck the Albashneft oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai.
Two days later, Russia accused Ukraine of sinking the liquefied natural gas carrier Arctic Metagaz off the coast of Libya using unmanned surface drones. The vessel caught fire and sank with 61,000 tonnes of LNG. Lavrov, in a news conference, criticized the US regime, stating that "the United States has stated openly, and President Donald Trump has said it without hesitation, that it will not be guided by any UN principles," accusing Washington of disregarding international norms.
Putin told Gulf leaders in a phone call that Russia "respects the sovereignty of other countries and does not interfere in other people's affairs," even as his troops continue to fight for territory in Ukraine. While most US allies have distanced themselves from Trump's war against Iran, Ukraine has encouraged it. Zelenskyy said it is "fair to give the Iranian people a chance to rid themselves of a terrorist regime," referring to over 57,000 Iranian-designed Shahed drones supplied to Russia and used against Ukraine.
Source: www.aljazeera.com