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Ukrainian hopes rest on the West as two-year war anniversary looms

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Ukrainian hopes rest on the West as two-year war anniversary looms

As the grim milestone of two years of war looms, Ukrainians tell Euronews they hope Russia’s brutality and propaganda campaigns will not dent Western support to Kyiv.

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Yuliia Kanivska is a mother of one from Irpin, a commuter city that lies 20km north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

Much of Irpin was destroyed during a month-long occupation in 2022, before it was recaptured by Ukrainian forces.

“I was very scared; we didn’t think that Russia could invade us,” Yuliia told Euronews’ Shona Murray.

Yuliia also worries pro-Russian propaganda could skew the reality of Ukraine’s suffering and undermine Western support for the war-torn nation.

“Because a lot of my relatives live in Russia, my husband’s aunt and her children live in Russia. And now they don’t speak, they don’t communicate because they can’t believe (…) that we are under bombing and we struggle for our freedom,” she explained.

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“My husband sent them some photos of destroyed houses saying ‘this is our life’,” she added, “and they sent back (a message saying), ‘oh it’s not so dangerous, it’s ok’.”

“It’s not only in Russia. We were abroad and we met a lot of people who were pro-Russian, and they couldn’t understand, they didn’t believe me,” Yuliia said.

She says Western governments and the NATO military alliance must continue to provide her country with the financial and military support it needs to withstand Russia’s aggression, as Ukraine is fighting not only for its own freedom but for the “freedom of the whole world.”

Earlier in February, EU leaders approved a landmark €50-billion aid package for Ukraine, allowing Kyiv to plug a hole in its public finances and sustain essential services such as healthcare, education, social protection and pensions.

It followed weeks of uncertainty after Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán threatened to wield his veto and block the aid.

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On Tuesday, the US Senate also passed its deeply divisive bill on Ukraine aid, which would provide $60 billion (€56 billion) to Kyiv’s coffers. 

But the fate of the bill is unclear as it now passes to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where it faces stiff opposition. The House’s Republican speaker Mike Johnson has already indicated he will block a vote on the bill.

War splits families

Dimitry, a medic, father and husband from Donetsk, affirms all of Ukraine’s territory must be returned to the state, including Crimea – annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 – and the occupied eastern region of the Donbas.

His father, who lives in Belgarod, Russia, does not share his views.

“My father thinks Ukraine has a lot of Nazis, and (that) Russia is doing right occupying Ukraine. We don’t have any conversation since 2017, and now it’s impossible,” he explained.

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“My father has a letter ‘Z’ on his car. That’s what he’s thinking about this war, he’s supporting Russia,” he added.

Dimitry also says that he wants to “forget” all the “pain” he has seen since the start of the war, but says more weapons and military equipment are needed for Ukraine to take back its territory.

Military experts say the war is at a stalemate, with Putin eagerly awaiting the results of the US and EU elections before deciding on his next strategy.

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And after two years, the toll is heavy on those still fighting for their lives.

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Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?

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Social media posts have showed French border guards stationed in airport arrivals with signs that appear to read, “to all the influencers and other people in tax havens such as Dubai, the tax authorities wish you a smooth return to France”. But is this real?

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Exclusive: Article Five not on the table despite Iran missile incident, NATO's Rutte says

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Exclusive: Article Five not on the table despite Iran missile incident, NATO's Rutte says
NATO is vigilant about events in the Middle East and ​the shooting-down of a missile ‌headed for Turkish airspace on Wednesday, but invoking Article Five is not on ​the table right now, the ​military alliance’s chief Mark Rutte told ⁠Reuters on Thursday.
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Iran continues firing missiles, drones at neighboring states, with multiple interceptions reported

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Iran continues firing missiles, drones at neighboring states, with multiple interceptions reported

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Iran launched a new wave of attacks on Thursday, with explosions reported in the region and Tehran threatening that the U.S. would “bitterly regret” sinking an Iranian warship.

Iran’s strikes on Thursday targeted Israel, American bases and countries in the region. Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks as air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense on Thursday said Iran used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in an attack on Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure. The ministry said the details of the attack and the capabilities of the UAVs were being investigated.

“The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against civilian infrastructure on the territory of Azerbaijan in the absence of any military necessity. The Islamic Republic of Iran bears the entire responsibility for the incident,” the ministry’s statement read.

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Explosions seen and heard in Azerbaijan as Iran launches retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. (East2West)

Iran has not acknowledged targeting Azerbaijan, despite the country’s ministry of defense pointing the finger at Tehran.

Qatar evacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha on Thursday, with its Ministry of Defense confirming that the country was “subjected to a missile attack” and that its air defense systems were able to intercept it. The ministry urged the public to remain calm and avoid unofficial information.

Abu Dhabi announced that its authorities were responding to an incident involving falling debris in ICAD 2, which is part of the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. Six people, identified by Abu Dhabi as Pakistani and Nepali nationals, suffered minor to moderate injuries.

A plume of smoke rises over buildings in Doha, Qatar, on March 5, 2026. (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)

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FORMER TOPGUN PILOT DECLARES IRAN MILITARY ‘OVER WITH’ AMID US AIR SUPERIORITY, BUT WARNS OF ANOTHER DANGER

Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, with the latest wave coming one day after the U.S. sunk an Iranian warship, killing at least 87 Iranian sailors. Sri Lankan navy spokesman Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 32 people were rescued from the wreck and were admitted to a hospital.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the move during a news briefing at the Pentagon.

“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo — Quiet Death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win,” Hegseth said.

Missile interceptions are seen in the sky on March 5, 2026, in Central Israel. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

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ISRAEL’S MILITARY RELEASES VIDEO SHOWING OBLITERATION OF IRAN’S MISSILE LAUNCHERS, DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Iranian leaders condemned the attack, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accusing the U.S. Navy of committing “an atrocity at sea.” Meanwhile, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli appeared on state television and called for the shedding of Israeli and “Trump’s blood.”

“Fight the oppressive America, his blood is on my shoulders,” he said in a rare call for violence from an ayatollah, one of the highest ranks within the clergy of Shiite Islam.

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The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Saturday with strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed. Iran’s missile arsenal and nuclear facilities were also hit.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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