Russia-Ukraine War: Key Events Overview, Day 1,102 | Russia-Ukraine War Updates

These are the key developments on day 1,102 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is the situation on Sunday, March 2:

Fighting

• The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee stated that Ukrainian attacks on Russian regions near the border have killed at least 652 civilians so far, according to Russian news agency TASS.
• Moscow claimed it shot down three Ukrainian drones targeting the Russkaya gas compressor station in the southern Krasnodar region, which is part of the TurkStream pipeline network.
• A new monitoring mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine for the first time via Russian territory, as reported by a Russia-appointed head of the plant.
• Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper reported that a Russian missile struck port facilities, injuring two workers and damaging infrastructure and a vessel.
• The Russian Ministry of Defence announced that its forces captured the villages of Sudne and Burlatske in the southern part of the eastern Donetsk region.

Diplomacy

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he was “very, very welcome” in London. This came a day after Zelenskyy clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump.
• British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko signed a 2.26-billion-pound ($2.84 billion) loan deal on Saturday, according to a Treasury statement. Zelenskyy stated the loan would be used to manufacture weapons in Ukraine.
• The Ukrainian leader confirmed that Kyiv is still willing to sign a rare earth minerals deal with the U.S. following his clash with Trump, calling it the “first step toward security guarantees.”
• NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized the need for the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe to collaborate to end the war and achieve “durable peace.” He also called for Zelenskyy to repair his relationship with Trump.
• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán urged the European Union to initiate direct talks with Russia to end the war.
• Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reiterated that Moscow’s goals in Ukraine, including its “demilitarization and denazification,” remain unchanged. She accused Zelenskyy of being “obsessed with continuing” the war.
• Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for greater “flexibility” in EU and German budget rules to enable increased support for Ukraine.