Members of a mobile rifle unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces look for Russian drones in the frontline town of Druzhkivka. PHOTO: VIA REUTERS"Breathe deeply, calm down, and don’t go running to stock up on food and matches" President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukrainians one month before the Russian tanks rolled across the border on February 24, 2022. Four years and between 200,000 and 400,000 dead Russian soldiers later (estimates vary), the Russian army holds about 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Like the machine guns and long-range artillery of World War 1, the drones force everybody to take shelter below ground level. However, Trump’s threat of war on Iran is driving oil prices back up, which helps the faltering Russian economy.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 01, 2026 16:01 UTC