Russia bans more than 900 Americans from entering the country, including President Biden and Secretary Blinken 

It’s practically three months since Russia invaded Ukraine – a 12-week interval wherein Russian forces have wrought devastation on the nation and its folks, leading to dying on an unlimited scale and inflicting hundreds of thousands to flee.

However the invasion has not been the army success Moscow hoped, and is now deep into its second part.

The majority of preventing has moved to the east after failed Russian advances in central Ukraine. The Ukrainians are specializing in retaking some key areas nearer to the Russian border, whereas Moscow is seeing its troops crushed again in a couple of key battles.

Western support can also be flowing into Ukraine, NATO is about to be strengthened as Nordic nations search to affix, and the primary Russian soldier accused of struggle crimes has stood trial.

Right here’s what has occurred in a number of key areas because the struggle started.

Donbas

After weeks of intense preventing, Ukraine’s jap Donbas area is “fully destroyed,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned Thursday.

He accused Russia of a “deliberate and felony try and kill as many Ukrainians as doable” after a village in Chernihiv was hit with missiles, leaving many useless.

Officers within the area say the entrance line is being shelled “day and night time,” with Russian forces trying to interrupt by way of Ukrainian strains.

A NATO army official instructed CNN Wednesday that the alliance expects one thing of a stalemate over the following few weeks. However the official mentioned NATO believes momentum has shifted considerably in favor of Ukraine and the controversy inside NATO circles is now over whether or not it’s doable for Kyiv to retake Crimea and the Donbas territories seized by Russia and Russian-backed separatists, respectively, in 2014.

Kharkiv

Ukrainian forces have crushed again Russia’s assaults in Ukraine’s second largest metropolis of Kharkiv, and superior towards the border in a number of locations north and east of town.

Ukrainian officers mentioned final week they have been liberating villages on the outskirts of town. Their advances led to the symbolic and embarrassing expulsion of the Kremlin’s forces again to their very own border whereas posing the strategic risk of chopping Russia’s provide strains into Ukraine and its forces additional south in Donbas.

Anastasia Paraskevova not too long ago returned to her house in Kharkiv for the primary time since fleeing town two months in the past. It had been beneath fixed bombardment since then till Russian forces have been repelled.

Paraskevova mentioned general the expertise was good.

“Town was rather more alive. Individuals have been strolling the streets. And a few outlets have been working. It felt like some life was again, significantly better than it was once I was right here in March.”

Kherson

Daily, a whole lot, and even 1000’s, of individuals are attempting to flee the Russian-occupied area of Kherson in southern Ukraine.

Town has been beneath Russian management since early within the invasion. Ukrainians are leaving for a lot of causes: to keep away from being detained or to flee the heavy-handed actions of Russian forces, or due to the power shortages of drugs and different fundamentals in Kherson, which fell beneath Russian management quickly after the invasion.

Final week, a convoy of about 1,000 automobiles tried to depart Kherson. The Russians finally let the convoy transfer in batches – however solely after holding it in a single place for many of the day.

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