As the months-long battle for the besieged city of Bakhmut rages on, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that officials are preparing for the wider war against Russia to continue long into its second year. Work is already underway to shore up heating for next winter, Zelensky said, even as the early days of spring provide some relief to Ukrainians, who have suffered through a frigid winter without reliable power.
From strengthening the protection of energy infrastructure, to decentralizing the energy system so that people can generate and supply their own power when central supplies are cut by Russian missile attacks, Ukrainian energy and defense officials will “do everything to be ready to face any threat next winter,” he said.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Spotlight: The battle for Bakhmut
Other battleground updates
More than seven months of brutal fighting in Bakhmut — resulting in thousands of dead and wounded on each side for a city that military analysts say is of little strategic value — underscores how unlikely it is that the wider war will be resolved any time soon.
