Vladimir Putin is unlikely to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine because he "doesn't care about sacrificing Russian soldiers," says John Spencer, a retired U.S. Army major and expert on urban warfare. But Ukraine has already foiled the Kremlin's military goals and will ultimately win, Spencer said.
Amid relentless fighting, one official claims that Ukrainian forces are closing in on recapturing Kreminna, which would disrupt Russian supply lines in the Donbas and deal Moscow another setback. Here’s what Ukrainian paratroopers say about the situation on the ground.
Iran has arrested at least 44 lawyers amid its crackdown on antiestablishment protests; a 22-year-old protester is at imminent risk of execution; and a leading Iranian digital rights defender has been sentenced to six years in prison over his tweets.
A 36-year-old Russian blogger lives in a Kyiv high-rise, enduring bombardment, blackouts, and freezing cold together with other residents of the Ukrainian capital. He fights back by helping the elderly, delivering groceries where they are needed, and gathering money to help people rebuild.
Ukraine's Security Service has raided facilities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in what it calls a counterintelligence operation, piling pressure on a Moscow-linked institution that now claims complete independence. Meanwhile, priests and parishioners struggle to come to grips with the changes.