A drone attack on Taganrog described as the largest of war damages industrial sites. The EU does not yet have an alternative plan to give Ukraine a 90 billion-euro loan, news reports say. Zelenskyi tours the Middle East in search of new rich allies, WSJ says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A drone attack was reported on the city of Taganrog in Russia\u2019s Rostov region overnight on Monday. Social media reports described the strike as the largest of the war so far with loud explosions rocking the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Governor of Rostov region, Yuriy Slusar, said that Russian air defenses shot down more than 60 drones over the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taganrog \u2060Svetlana Kambulova said one person was killed in the attack and eight others wounded. Three industrial enterprises, apartment buildings and cars were damaged, she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russian Telegram channel Astra said footage posted to social media showed the air defenses engage the drones over a residential neighborhood in Taganrog. Head of Ukrainian NGO the Center for the Study of Occupation, Petro Andryushchenko said the falling debris of a missile from the Pantsir air defense system detonated on the ground, causing damage to the residential area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The strike prompted evacuation of the residents of an apartment building on the Svobody street, and a tram line toward the nearby Beriev Aircraft Plant was disrupted, local authorities said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian news site Defense Express said in February 2026 that the Beriev Aircraft Plant received a task to repair three Tu-95MS strategic bombers. The plant is also the manufacturer of the Beriev A-50 and Beriev A-100 Premier airborne early warning and control aircraft, and the Beriev Be-200 multipurpose amphibious aircraft that derives from the A-40 Albatros project. There are also signs that the facility is part of the production chain for Molniya drones, Defense Express said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2025, the Beriev Aircraft Plant reported an annual loss of USD 65 million. It stands in stark contrast with the company\u2019s annual profit of USD 15 million reported in 2024. Defense Express said the plant\u2019s losses could have resulted from a series of Ukrainian strikes on the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In January 2026, Ukraine struck the Atlant Aero plant in Taganrog, which designs, manufactures and tests Molniya drones and parts for Orion drones. The strike reportedly triggered a fire at the plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The EU does not yet have an alternative plan to give Ukraine a 90 billion-euro loan while the effort is being blocked by Hungary, Ukrainian news site European Pravda said Monday. The paragraphs below are quoted from the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s calls for alternative options to secure the \u20ac90 billion European loan for Ukraine blocked by Hungary, the EU still has no such “Plan B”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the European Pravda article, while Zelenskyy is insisting on the development of backup financial instruments, multiple European Pravda sources in Brussels say there is currently no alternative to the \u20ac90 billion package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That, however, does not mean the EU has stopped looking for a way out, but there is no official “Plan B” at the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The sources unanimously insist that none of the options mentioned in these discussions currently appears legally viable,” the article says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n still refuses to approve the loan after the elections, European officials are discussing various ways of responding, including the possibility of bypassing Hungary’s veto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The EU sees a positive way out of the situation in a specific chain of three events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“First, elections must take place in Hungary. Then Ukraine must resume [the oil flow through] the Druzhba pipeline. And the third step, after those two, is that Orb\u00e1n lifts the veto. Only if, after the first two steps, the third does not happen, will serious work on a ‘Plan B’ begin,” the article says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Politico reported that EU officials are discussing contingency plans in the event that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n’s party wins the parliamentary elections, with five different options under consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured Gulf countries, signing defense and security deals leveraging Ukraine’s military prowess, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said on Sunday. The paragraphs below are quoted from the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr \u200b\u200bZelensky toured Gulf countries under attack from Iran, signing defense and security deals that harness Ukraine\u2019s innovative military prowess while trying to portray fighting there as part of a global battle against allies Iran and Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelenskyi toured bombarded Middle Eastern countries in search of new rich allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trip highlighted Ukraine\u2019s growing confidence in the region where it is looking to convince wealthy Gulf nations, which adopted a largely neutral approach in the years after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, that they share a common enemy against whom Kyiv is a credible partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have hosted diplomatic talks and facilitated prisoner exchanges between the warring sides, but the Arab states have not imposed sanctions on Russia and have refrained from politically isolating Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky\u2019s efforts to cement new ties in the Middle East come at a critical time for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The withdrawal of direct U.S. military aid, and a global focus on the Iran war, are pushing Kyiv to turn to other partners for financial and military aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine hopes that in exchange for sharing its equipment and unmatched know-how in combating drones in the petrostates’ hour of need, it can win them over and tap them for help with its reconstruction, energy needs and deterrence of Russia with sanctions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine made 10-year cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while another one was in the works with the United Arab Emirates. Zelensky said that the strategic agreements with Middle Eastern countries will benefit Ukraine’s defense-industry exporters, with deals worth billions of dollars, he estimated, as the countries planned to engage in joint production in Ukraine and the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long-term energy cooperation was another priority for Zelensky on this trip, as he secured commitments in an increasingly volatile market, including a year’s worth of diesel supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other news, Zelenskyi arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 26. He said Ukraine had signed a deal with the country to share its drone defense expertise and technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 28, he travelled to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Ukraine made a 10-year cooperation agreement with Qatar and is expected to finalize an agreement with the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 29, Zelenskyi met with Jordan\u2019s King Abdullah II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelenskyi told reporters on Monday that he discussed mutual assistance in defense and energy sectors with the leaders of the Gulf nations. The supply of Ukraine\u2019s sea drones were part of the 10-year agreements signed with some of the nations, The New Voice of Ukraine said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"