What did the days before 21 March 2025 reveal?
A retrospective on drone strikes, ceasefire accusations and the death of Ukraine's first modern prime minister in the days leading up to 21 March 2025.
What did the news look like as 21 March 2025 began? It was shaped by competing claims over a partial ceasefire, continued drone warfare and a moment of national mourning.
On 19 March 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to discredit U.S. President Donald Trump's peace negotiations. His remark followed overnight Russian drone attacks on Kyiv, which came after talks between the U.S. and Russia. The same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Ukraine had violated the energy infrastructure ceasefire agreed by presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin, citing a drone attack on an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai.
The strikes continued on 20 March 2025. Russia launched a massive drone attack on Odesa, injuring civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure. Massive explosions were also reported after a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone strike on the Engels-2 air base in Russia, and reports indicated that nearby houses were damaged.
That day also brought news of a death. Vitold Fokin, the first prime minister of modern-day Ukraine, died at the age of 92. Zelenskyy mourned him, describing a sense of loss for all Ukrainians.
Taken together, the reports from 19 and 20 March 2025 showed negotiations and fighting running in parallel, with each side accusing the other over the energy ceasefire.
