Ukraine

NPR -  Ukrainian troops and Russian reinforcements appear to be gearing up for a major confrontation in the villages and towns of western Russia. Last week, Ukrainian forces surged into Russia’s Kursk region, just across the border from Ukraine, catching Russia by surprise. They encountered limited resistance in the first few days of the campaign. Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation is intended to “push the war into the aggressor’s territory.” Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian military commanders say they will soon reclaim its border. 

“The Ukrainians are cheering because it’s going well so far. But the coming days are full of danger,” NPR’s Greg Myre says. Ukrainian forces are already stretched thin in the main battleground of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where the Russians are gaining ground. The fighting inside Russia has resulted in casualties on both sides but no major losses. Tens of thousands of Russian civilians fled the area that was invaded, saying they had no warning and there was no organized evacuation. Putin has promised the Russians who’ve lost everything a payment of 10,000 rubles, which is about $115.