Putin pitches Russia as mediator between Iran and Gulf states – On March 2 President Vladimir Putin held phone calls with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al‑Thani and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, stressing Russia’s readiness to help stabilize the Iran‑Gulf situation and recalling past Russian diplomatic work on Iran’s nuclear program. He is trying to balance ties with Iran while courting Gulf partners amid the US‑Israeli operation against Iran. [1]
Iranian threats lift Brent crude to over $80, reviving Russian oil revenue hopes – Iranian strikes on US‑ and UK‑linked tankers and IRGC warnings to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent futures to $82.37 per barrel on March 2, up from $73 on Feb 27, while traffic in the Persian Gulf fell at least 33 % as of March 1. Higher prices could temporarily offset Russia’s declining 2025 oil earnings, which fell to 9.1 million bpd and may prompt a 3 % production increase to 10.9 million bpd in 2026. Russia is also selling gold reserves and raising VAT to compensate for lower hydrocarbon revenue. [3][9][10]
Ukraine offers its drone‑intercept know‑how to Middle‑East allies – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on March 1 that Ukrainian and British experts will cooperate to help regional partners shoot down Iranian drones, and Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksandr Kamyshin confirmed Ukraine’s willingness to share its experience, noting a 90 % interception rate against Russian Shahed drones and the involvement of over ten Ukrainian firms producing interceptors. President Volodymyr Zelensky said no formal requests have yet arrived but suggested Ukraine could deploy its top drone‑interceptor operators if a short‑term ceasefire in Ukraine were secured. [11][12][13][14][15]
Zelensky warns Russia will target Ukrainian logistics and water infrastructure in spring – On March 2 President Zelensky said Russian forces are preparing a new wave of long‑range missile and drone strikes aimed at Ukraine’s railway logistics and water supply, following earlier attacks on railways and a Shahed strike on a passenger train in Kryvyi Rih on the same day. Ukrzaliznytsia has limited suburban train movements in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast due to damage and safety concerns. The shift signals Russia’s intent to broaden its strike set after a winter focused on energy targets. [22][23][24][25][26]
Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil terminal and naval base in Krasnodar – The Ukrainian General Staff reported that overnight March 1‑2 Ukrainian drones struck the Sheskharis oil terminal and the Novorossiysk naval base, igniting a fire, damaging oil tankers and an S‑400 radar, and also hitting warships, an S‑300 guidance radar, a Pantsir‑S2 system and six of seven tankers at the terminal. Geolocated footage showed the strike and Russian officials confirmed the fire at the loading dock. The attack follows earlier February strikes that destroyed tanks at the Albashneft refinery. [27][28][29][30]
Russian forces make limited gains in Slovyansk and other fronts – Geolocated video from March 1 showed a Russian soldier on the northern outskirts of Lyman and further advances southeast of Stavky, indicating a modest forward‑edge shift, while the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed seizures of Drobysheve and Riznykivka near Slovyansk. Unconfirmed reports also note Russian advances in the Velykyi Burluk and Pokrovsk directions, though most attacks on March 1‑2 did not result in territorial gains. These movements suggest Russia is probing for a spring‑summer offensive while facing increased Ukrainian resistance. [47][48][49][50]