Russia's ukraine war effort grinds to a halt, ukraine calls for funding

Russia's military advance in Ukraine has stalled, with the country's forces recording only minimal territorial gains in March, according to a recent analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.

Ukraine's counteroffensives and russian internet restrictions cited as key factors

For the first time in over two and a half years, Russia's army failed to make significant inroads along the front lines, seizing a paltry 23 square kilometers, while losing some territory in other areas.

The Russian military's slowdown is attributed to Ukraine's localised breakthroughs in the south-east of the country, as well as Russia's own internal issues, including a ban on using Starlink terminals in Ukraine and efforts to restrict access to popular messaging app Telegram, which has been nearly unusable for Russians since the authorities imposed blocks.

Meanwhile, Russia launched a barrage of daytime airstrikes against Ukraine, using over 500 drones and dozens of missiles in a single salvo, according to the Ukrainian air force.