Ukraine updates: Russia hits Odesa ahead of war anniversary

DW News · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Published February 23, 2026last updated February 23, 2026Russia has attacked several regions of Ukraine ahead of the fourth anniversary of the invasion. Meanwhile, Hungary is blocking a 20th EU sanctions package on Russia. DW has more. https://p.dw.com/p/59ES0Russian drones hit infrastructure across the southwestern Odesa region Image: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/REUTERSSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know Russia attacks Odesa, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, one day before fourth anniversary of invasion Hungary blocks new EU sanctions package on Russia over pipeline Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells BBC Putin has 'already started' World War III Here's the latest regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Monday, February 23: Skip next section Hungary to block EU sanctions package over Druzhba pipeline, drawing backlashFebruary 23, 2026Hungary to block EU sanctions package over Druzhba pipeline, drawing backlashHungary wants to block a 20th EU sanctions package on Russia due to a damaged pipeline. EU sanctions packages have to be approved by all 27 countries in the bloc. The Druzhba pipeline transports oil from Russia through Ukraine and onward to EU countries such as Hungary and Slovakia. The pipeline was damaged by a Russian attack in January. Hungary and Slovakia have both accused Ukraine of delaying repairs on the pipeline due to political reasons. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also suggested his country would block a €90 billion ($106 billion) EU loan to Ukraine over the pipeline. Hungary is holding up EU plans over a key pipeline which carries oil between Russia and central Europe Image: Bernadett Szabo/REUTERS EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said there is "not going to be progress regarding" the sanctions package today, but added "we will definitely make this push." German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was "astonished by the Hungarian positions. We will discuss this with our Hungarian colleagues." "I am also confident that, at the end of the day, we will be successful," Wadephul said. Poland Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the decision by Hungary is "shocking." Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said "there is no reason" to stop the package as shutting down the pipeline was Russia's fault. https://p.dw.com/p/59F64Skip next section Zelenskyy: Putin has 'already started' World War III February 23, 2026Zelenskyy: Putin has 'already started' World War III In an interview with the BBC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believes Russian leader Vladimir Putin has "already started" World War III. "The question is: how much territory can he seize, and how to stop him?" Zelenskyy said. He believes Ukraine is preventing Putin from turning the conflict into "a broader, full-scale World War II. Today we are the outpost stopping Putin." Zelenskyy was asked by the BBC how feels about land in eastern and southern Ukraine being handed over to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire. Zelenskyy said this would "probably satisfy" Putin for a while. "He needs a pause... but once he recovers, our European partners say it could take three to five years. In my opinion, he could recover in no more than a couple of years. Where would he go next? We do not know, but that he would want to continue is a fact," Zelenskyy said, referring to the invasion of Ukraine. https://p.dw.com/p/59EkuSkip next section Russia hits Odesa, Kharkiv, ZaporizhzhiaFebruary 23, 2026Russia hits Odesa, Kharkiv, ZaporizhzhiaRussia launched missile and drone attacks across Ukraine overnight, impacting the Odesa, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Oleg Kiper, the governor of the southwestern Odesa region, said two people were killed and three wounded after industrial, energy and civil infrastructure was targeted by Russian drones. The Odesa region borders Moldova and Romania Image: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/REUTERS A Russian drone attack also killed one man and injured another in the eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, according to Ivan Fedorov, the head of the Zaporizhzhia region. Russia occupies much of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of the eastern city of Kharkiv, said the Kholodnohirskyi District was targeted by missiles. However there haven't been any reports of casualties after the Kharkiv attack. The assault comes one day before the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion, which began on February 24, 2022. https://p.dw.com/p/59EW1Skip next section Welcome to our coverageFebruary 23, 2026Welcome to our coverageWelcome to DW's blog coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. You join us as Russia has launched fresh attacks on several Ukrainian regions overnight, including the areas of Odesa, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. The attacks come one before the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of its neighbor, which began on February 24, 2022. Stay tuned throughout the day for the latest developments, multimedia coverage and DW exclusive content regarding the war. Ukraine battles with airstrikes and terrorist attacksTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video https://p.dw.com/p/59ESBShow more posts