Emboldened Russia Begins Spring Offensive

March 26, 2026 5:04 am

The Iran war has deflected global attention from Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor Ukraine as Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II enters its fifth year and an emboldened Kremlin undertakes a spring offensive. The past week showed that neither side is easing up. Russia on Tuesday fired almost 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at Ukraine in one of the war’s biggest bombardments. The following day Ukraine launched almost 400 drones in the largest reported overnight attack on Russian regions and Crimea. Ukraine’s fate is still Europe’s top foreign policy issue, fueled by fears that Moscow has wider ambitions.