Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the formal annexation of four territories in Ukraine on Friday, after the conclusion of what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called "sham" referendums and "a complete farce."NPR s Kat Lonsdorf talked with Ukrainians near the frontline about how the turmoil is affecting them.Dara Massicot, a Russian military analyst with the RAND corporation, says, with this move, Putin has "burned bridges behind him," leaving him with few options to force a closure to the war. She says that makes this the beginning of a dangerous new phase.In participating regions, you ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what s going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
The world has been warily watching the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. The nuclear complex is being held by Russian forces, while the plant itself is being run by an increasingly ragged and exhausted Ukrainian workforce. Shells have fallen on the complex, and external power sources have been repeatedly knocked out, endangering the system that cools the nuclear reactors and raising the specter of a meltdown. NPR s Kat Lonsdorf reports from inside Ukraine.
The world has been warily watching the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. The nuclear complex is being held by Russian forces, while the plant itself is being run by an increasingly ragged and exhausted Ukrainian workforce. Shells have fallen on the complex, and external power sources have been repeatedly knocked out, endangering the system that cools the nuclear reactors and raising the specter of a meltdown. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports from inside Ukraine.
All eyes are on Kherson. In Ukraine s first major offensive of the war, soldiers are pushing towards the city, trying to retake it from Russian troops. It s a transport hub and key river crossing, and reclaiming it would be a huge victory for Ukraine.NPR s Kat Lonsdorf brings us the story of Vitaly, a 22-year-old college student in Kherson. Since the city first fell, he has sent NPR voice memos detailing life under the Russian occupation. Now, he s decided he has to get out.And NPR s Brian Mann travels near the front lines with Ukrainian forces pushing towards Kherson. It s a vast stretch of half-abandoned villages and farms fields, old industrial sites and dense forests, where the exact point of contact between Russian and Ukrainian troops is often unclear day by day.In participating regions, you ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what s going on in your community.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.