hands, but ukraine fought back, forcing the kremlin to abandon its attempt to take the capital. and pushing russian forces back, first in the north east and then in the south, where the city of kherson was liberated. the cost in soldiers lives has been immense. ukraine is thought to have lost as many as 100,000 dead or wounded. for russia, it s been much worse. as many as 200,000 casualties with a much higher proportion of those killed. the west has sprung to ukraine s defence in one of the most remarkable efforts of its kind ever seen. from anti tank weapons that began to flood in early on. ..to sophisticated artillery systems that allowed ukraine to go on the offensive and tanks and armoured vehicles that are even now on their way. ukraine s allies have so far promised more than $65 billion of military aid. the united states has been by far the biggest donor. none of this, of course, has brought the warto an end. most people agree that it s likely to go on for a lot