The situation 1465 – March 26, 2026

1. Russia continues to expand its military cooperation with Iran to facilitate Iranian strikes on US and Israeli forces in the Middle East.
2. Ukrainian counterattacks continue to make gains in southern Ukraine, creating operational and strategic effects against Russian forces going into the Spring-Summer 2026 offensive against the Fortress Belt.
3. Russian forces are unlikely to seize Ukraine’s Fortress Belt in 2026.
4. The United Kingdom (UK) government affirmed its commitment to police sanctioned vessels in UK waters, while Kremlin officials continue to threaten the use of military force to aid Russian sanction-evading ships.
5. Ukrainian drone strikes and Western seizures of Russian oil tankers are having significant impacts on Russian oil export revenues.
6. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Oleksandrivka direction, in western Zaporizhia Oblast, and in northern Kharkiv Oblast. Russian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction and in the Pokrovsk direction and infiltrated in the Kupyansk direction.
7. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure near the Baltic Sea. Russian forces launched 153 drones against Ukraine.

The full update of the Russian offensive 1465 is available on UNDERSTANDING WAR.