While global attention remains focused on the war involving Iran, Russia’s war against Ukraine has not stopped.
Neither has the reporting on it.
Many viewers around the world have been shocked by videos showing drones exploding into buildings across the region. For people living in Ukraine, however, such scenes have become a painful daily reality.
Since the beginning of 2026, Russia has launched Shahed strike drones every night against Ukraine. In the first month and a half of the year alone, more than 4,600 UAVs of this type have been deployed.
At the same time, the Kremlin appears to benefit from the shifting global focus.
As international media coverage and political attention move toward the Middle East, Russia’s war against Ukraine risks becoming easier to overlook. In fact, Ukraine has seemingly disappeared from many international headlines almost overnight.
The conflict involving Iran is also affecting diplomatic efforts regarding Ukraine. The next round of trilateral peace talks, originally scheduled for March 5–6 in Abu Dhabi, has been postponed following Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates. A new date has not yet been announced.
Economic factors may also work in Russia’s favor. Instability in the Middle East has driven oil prices higher, increasing demand for Russian exports and helping replenish the Kremlin’s war funds.
In other words, even when Russia is not directly involved in a conflict, it may still benefit from the world’s distraction.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine continue. Ukrainian cities remain under constant threat from missiles and drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Moscow has used extensively throughout the full-scale invasion.
Over just the past day, Russian attacks have killed five civilians and injured more than 100 people.
Source: www.kyivindependent.com
