Ukraine, US, and Russia Reach Partial Agreements While Russian Missiles Wound Over 100 in Sumy
Summary of the Day – March 25, 2025
Energy Infrastructure Protected: Three-Way Agreement Bans Strikes on Power Facilities
US, Ukrainian, and Russian officials reached agreements for temporary ceasefires on strikes against energy infrastructure and in the Black Sea following talks in Saudi Arabia. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced the breakthrough on March 25, saying “All parties agreed to implement the presidential agreement on a complete ban on strikes on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Russia.”
The Kremlin issued a list of facilities that fall under the ceasefire, including oil refineries; oil and gas pipelines and storage facilities; electricity generation and transmission infrastructure; nuclear power plants; and hydroelectric dams. According to the Kremlin, the temporary ceasefire is valid for 30 days starting from March 18, 2025, meaning it will expire on April 17, 2025, unless renewed.
However, the mechanisms to monitor and address violations remain unclear. Importantly, the Kremlin’s list only includes energy infrastructure facilities, leaving uncertainty about whether Zelensky’s additional list of non-energy facilities will be protected.
“We believe that the ceasefire in the sea and the energy ceasefire must come into effect immediately,” President Zelensky told journalists. “Undoubtedly this depends on orders given by the presidents to their military forces.”
Maritime Security in Limbo: Russia Ties Black Sea Ceasefire to Sanctions Relief
The US-brokered agreement on Black Sea security faces an immediate challenge as Russia announced it will not implement the ceasefire until the West lifts sanctions on Russian agricultural entities. According to the White House statement, all parties “agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”
The Kremlin, however, announced it will only honor the agreement after specific conditions are met. These demands include lifting sanctions on Rosselkhozbank, Russia’s state-owned agricultural bank, and reconnecting it to the SWIFT payment system; lifting restrictions on companies producing and exporting food and fertilizers; and removing restrictions on ships operating under the Russian flag involved in trading food products.
Umerov stated that Ukraine would consider any movement of Russian military vessels “outside of the eastern part of the Black Sea” a violation of the agreement and a threat to Ukraine’s national security that would justify self-defense actions.
When asked about the possibility of lifting Russian sanctions to secure the deal, US President Donald Trump said: “They will be looking at them and we are thinking about all of them right now. There are about five or six conditions. We’re looking at all of them.”
The contrast between Russia’s demands for prior sanctions relief and the US-Ukrainian position highlights the fragility of the agreements. The original Black Sea Grain Initiative of 2022 did not require sanctions relief.
Sumy Under Fire: Russian Missile Strike Wounds Over 100 Civilians
As diplomatic talks were underway in Saudi Arabia, Russia launched a missile attack against the northeastern city of Sumy on March 24. At least 101 people, including 23 children, were wounded in the strike. Twenty-six buildings were damaged, including schools, a kindergarten, a hospital, and residential buildings.
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Sumy, Ukraine. (National Police)
“Each day like this, every night under Russian missiles and drones brings loss, pain, and destruction that Ukraine never wanted,” President Zelensky said in response to the attack.
The strike on Sumy, located approximately 30 kilometers from the Russian border, occurred despite discussions about a ceasefire.
In the past day, Russian forces also launched 139 attack and decoy drones against Ukraine, as well as an Iskander-M ballistic missile. Seventy-eight drones were shot down, while 34 decoys disappeared from radars, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant: Russia Claims “Fait Accompli” on Ownership
Russia’s Foreign Ministry declared on March 25 that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is a Russian facility and cannot be transferred to Ukraine or any other country. The ministry also ruled out the possibility of joint operation.
“The return of the station to Russia’s nuclear sector has been a fait accompli for quite some time,” the ministry stated. “Transferring the Zaporizhzhia plant to the control of Ukraine or another country is impossible.”
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump suggested that the United States could help operate Ukraine’s nuclear power plants during a recent phone call with President Zelensky. Trump told reporters on March 24 that the US and Ukraine are discussing “power plant ownership,” saying “Some people are saying the United States should own the power plant… because we have the expertise.”
Russia claims control over the plant based on its annexation of Ukrainian regions in September 2022, which followed referendums that have been recognized internationally only by Russia and North Korea. The plant has been disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid multiple times, and Ukraine continues to demand its return.
Minerals Deal Redux: New US-Ukraine Agreement Under Consideration
President Zelensky revealed that the US has proposed signing a new “major” minerals deal with Ukraine based on a previous framework agreement. This comes after US President Donald Trump said he expected to sign the US-Ukrainian mineral agreement “soon.”
“After the framework deal, a full agreement is being developed. Now the US has offered us a ‘major’ deal, their vision,” Zelensky said, adding that officials have yet to explain further details about the agreement, which could be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament.
According to Zelensky, the new version of the agreement doesn’t include a clause on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. The minerals agreement would establish a fund to which Ukraine would contribute 50% of proceeds from future profits of state-owned resources, including oil, gas, and logistics infrastructure.
The final deal that Kyiv had approved included language stating the fund “will be reinvested at least annually in Ukraine to promote the safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine.”
Territorial Ambitions: Russia Demands Full Control of Occupied Regions
Russia is pushing to gain full control over four occupied Ukrainian oblasts—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—during negotiations with the United States, according to sources cited by the Moscow Times. Although Russian forces do not fully control any of these regions, the Kremlin reportedly demands them in their administrative borders as defined in the Russian Constitution following their annexation.
“The Constitution has no mechanism for regions to leave Russia. We need all of Zaporizhzhia and all of Kherson,” a Kremlin-linked official reportedly told the Moscow Times. Another Russian government source suggested that Moscow hopes Washington might pressure Kyiv to withdraw from the occupied regions.
According to these reports, Russia may alternatively attempt to seize additional Ukrainian territory, such as parts of Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy oblasts, and then offer an exchange for Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. “We hope to find a way that avoids storming Kherson or forcing a crossing of the Dnipro River,” another Russian official reportedly said.
Pokrovsk Pressure: Russia Resumes Intensive Attacks in Donetsk Oblast
Russian forces have resumed their attacks in the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast after a brief lull in operations, according to Mykola Koval, spokesperson of Ukraine’s National Guard’s Chervona Kalyna brigade.
“Recently, they have become more active. We have successfully repelled the assaults, we are holding the line, but the enemy is trying to break through our defense line daily,” Koval told Kyiv24 Channel.
According to the spokesperson, the Russian military attacks Ukrainian positions with more first-person-view (FPV) drones, artillery, and infantry. “It’s very difficult to deter the enemy with such an influx,” he added.
The town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast has been a key battleground. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi previously reported that 7,000 Russian soldiers were killed near Pokrovsk in January alone.
Ukrainian Strike Success: Air Force Attack Kills 30 Russian Soldiers in Kursk
Ukraine’s Air Force struck a concentration of Russian military personnel in Kondratovka, Kursk Oblast, killing up to 30 Russian soldiers, the General Staff reported on March 25.
“As a result of the strike, it was completely destroyed,” the statement said, adding that Ukraine’s pilots will continue targeting Russian positions.
The attack comes amid ongoing fighting in Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion in August 2024. Russian forces launched a counteroffensive earlier this month, regaining ground including the town of Sudzha.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Ukrainian soldiers were “surrounded” in Kursk Oblast, though Kyiv has denied this while acknowledging a retreat from Sudzha. Reuters reported that US and European intelligence sources have contradicted claims of an encirclement.
European Support Surges: Denmark Backs Ukraine’s Defense Industry
Denmark will provide 130 million euros ($140.6 million) in guarantees to support Danish companies investing in Ukraine’s defense industry, First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on March 25.
The Danish government will introduce a state-backed guarantee through the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), covering up to 70% of Danish companies’ investments in Ukraine’s defense sector.
Denmark has created the “Danish model” of purchasing arms for Kyiv from Ukrainian producers, and has provided approximately $7.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since 2022.
“EIFO is well known to Danish business, as they are already actively supporting both their country’s and Ukrainian businesses with this tool,” the minister wrote on Facebook.
Summit in Paris: Zelensky to Meet Macron Ahead of Coalition Gathering
French President Emmanuel Macron will host President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysée Palace on March 26 to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of the “coalition of the willing” summit on March 27, which will bring together Germany, Poland, the UK, and other coalition members who have pledged to support Ukraine’s post-war security.
The initiative was first introduced by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a March 2 summit in London. Over 30 countries have expressed willingness to contribute to the coalition’s peacekeeping force.
During his meeting with Zelensky, Macron is expected to discuss France’s commitment to increasing military aid for Ukraine. On March 13, France’s National Assembly passed a resolution calling for enhanced support for Kyiv.
Public Opinion Pulse: 77% of Ukrainians Support Ceasefire Proposal
According to an Omnibus opinion poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 77% of Ukrainians view the proposed 30-day ceasefire positively, while 17% expressed negative views toward the idea.
Between March 19 and March 21, opposition to Russia’s ceasefire conditions increased sharply, with 79% of respondents deeming Russia’s conditions categorically unacceptable.
The poll also found that 82% of Ukrainians believe Kyiv should continue fighting regardless of external circumstances. If a ceasefire comes without security guarantees, 62% would strongly oppose it, while 32% would reluctantly support it. Should Ukraine secure security guarantees, more than half of respondents would accept the truce.
Educating the Next Generation: Ukraine’s Drone Schools Train New Pilots
As the conflict continues, Ukraine’s drone programs have evolved, with formal training schools now preparing soldiers to operate sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One such school in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, run by drone maker Deviro, has trained approximately 3,000 pilots since its inception, with 1,100 graduating in 2024 alone.
“If you don’t adapt, you won’t survive,” said one instructor who transitioned from the electronics retail sector to drone operations. The school received accreditation from the Office of State Aviation within the Defense Ministry in May 2023 and was among the first of what has grown to around 60 such training facilities across Ukraine.
Students undergo a four-week course learning to operate reconnaissance drones like the Leleka 100 (“stork” in English), focusing on navigation, targeting, and landing fixed-wing drones without damaging their camera equipment. Training takes place on simulators that replicate combat zones in Ukraine.