Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down 148 fixed‑wing Ukrainian drones in 12 hours, including 17 headed toward Moscow, across multiple regions and over the Black and Azov seas.
- Moscow’s mayor said air defenses downed 27 drones in a six‑hour span, prompting temporary closures at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky and at least 10 flight diversions to Nizhny Novgorod.
- Belgorod’s governor reported a large drone and missile strike that severely damaged the regional power system and left more than 60,000 residents without electricity, water or heat, with no casualties noted.
- In Geneva, Ukraine’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov met US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for roughly six hours and said the talks focused on Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said there is increased willingness to move to a trilateral format, likely meeting in Abu Dhabi in early March, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow sets no deadlines and reiterated firm positions.