**Disinformation on the Rise**
A few years ago, bots and Russian propaganda outlets were the biggest spreaders of lies on the internet. Today, it’s different. Two prominent sources of misinformation are Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Elon Musk, the world‘s richest man.
To understand how we got here, The Kyiv Independent‘s Chris York talked to Eliot Higgins, founder and creative director of the investigative outlet Bellingcat.
**War Updates**
Russian forces have made a breakthrough in Kursk Oblast, threatening to cut off some Ukrainian positions. After Zelensky met with the Saudi crown prince, his team will stay in Saudi Arabia on March 11 to discuss a potential peace agreement with U.S. delegates.
**Business and Diplomacy**
The U.S. is considering easing the price ceiling on Russian oil. Chinese car exports to Russia surged sevenfold in 2023 compared to 2022. This comes as Western sanctions make it harder for Russia to buy cars from Western brands like Volkswagen, Toyota, and BMW.
**Investigations and Arrests**
A Ukrainian investigation found that a Russian woman took a 4-year-old girl from the occupied part of Kherson Oblast. The child’s family plans to adopt her. A former Belarus official was arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist acts in Ukraine.
**Security and Procurement**
The U.S. has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, which is used for defensive purposes. Ukraine has procured over Hr 110 billion ($2.6 billion) worth of military equipment, with most of it coming through the Defense Procurement Agency. Russia’s decline as a major arms supplier is attributed to Western sanctions and increased pressure from the U.S. and its allies.
**Border Incidents**
Russian forces have been trying to infiltrate Ukrainian territory using small assault units. Ukraine has intercepted 130 out of 176 drones launched overnight, including Shahed-type attack drones. The most effective tools against these drones are first-person-view (FPV) drones and multi-rotor bombers.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com