British prime minister Keir Starmer announced that Ukrainian specialists would advise on countering Iranian drones aimed at Gulf partners, following Tehran’s reaction to the recent US‑Israeli attacks on Iran. “We are not taking part in those attacks, but we will maintain our defensive posture in the area,” Starmer told reporters on Sunday evening. “We will also deploy Ukrainian advisers alongside our own to assist Gulf states in downing the Iranian drones targeting them.” Ukraine had not responded to the statement.
According to an analysis by Agence France‑Presse, Russia fired more missiles at Ukraine during February’s night raids than in any month since early 2023. The strikes focused largely on Ukraine’s energy network, AFP reported. In February, Russia launched 288 missiles, roughly 113 % more than the 135 fired in January. The same month saw 5,059 long‑range drones deployed against Ukrainian towns and cities, a rise of about 13 % from the previous month. AFP based its findings on daily data supplied by the Ukrainian air force.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that the shifts in Iran triggered by US and Israeli strikes ought to be “used wisely” for the benefit of its citizens. In his nightly video address, he claimed Iran had “pre‑determined its treatment” by providing attack drones to Russia in the four‑year conflict in Ukraine and had also “stirred conflicts in the region.” “It is crucial that this opportunity for change in Iran be handled responsibly,” he said, noting that “the Iranian people have long faced hardship while opposing their regime.” Zelenskyy added that Moscow had launched more than 57,000 Iranian‑made Shahed drones at Ukraine during the war.
Belgium intercepted an oil tanker thought to belong to the “shadow fleet” that Russia employs to evade Western sanctions linked to the Ukraine war. Special‑operations troops, supported by French helicopters, boarded the vessel in a covert night operation in the North Sea on Saturday, reports Kate Connolly. Prosecutors said the ship, named Ethera, was sailing under a falsified Guinea flag and was apparently returning to Russia when seized within Belgium’s exclusive economic zone.
Zelenskyy commended Belgium’s move to seize the tanker. “This vessel has been subject to US, EU and UK sanctions for a long time, yet it kept moving Russian oil under a false flag and forged paperwork,” he posted on X. “We welcome this decisive step against Moscow’s floating cash flow and thank France for its support of the operation.”
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