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Ukrainians visit an avenue where destroyed Russian military hardware is displayed in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday. Andrew Kravchenko/AP hide caption

Ukrainians visit an avenue where destroyed Russian military hardware is displayed in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday.

As the week begins, here's a roundup of key developments from the past week and a look ahead.

Wednesday is Ukraine's Independence Day, marking 31 years since its declaration of independence from Soviet rule. Authorities have banned public celebrations in Kyiv and warned against gatherings around the country because of the risk of Russian attacks.

Wednesday also marks six months since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

A trial for captured Ukrainian fighters is expected to begin in Russian-occupied Mariupol, possibly as soon as Wednesday.

And on Thursday, the Cluster Munition Monitor 2022 report will be released, which will include research about cluster munition and land mine usage in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Aug. 15: United Nations human rights workers documented 5,514 civilians killed and 7,698 injured in Ukraine since the war began in February, but said the actual figure is considerably higher as intense fighting delays reporting and corroboration. On the day of the U.N. update, several more civilians were reported killed and wounded in Ukraine.

A Russian-backed separatist court in Donetsk charged men from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Croatia with working as mercenaries for Ukraine. All five men pleaded not guilty, Russia's Tass news agency reported, and three of them could face the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is ready to offer advanced weapons to Russia's partners in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Aug. 16: Explosions rocked Crimea, hitting an ammunition depot, an airfield, a power station and also causing damage to the railway on the Russian-annexed peninsula. Russia's Defense Ministry called the blasts acts of sabotage. Ukraine didn't take credit, but military analysts said the incidents are likely part of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Later in the week, Russian officials reported attempted drone attacks in Crimea.

Ukraine's Parliament extended martial law for three more months.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, were in Ukraine. They met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and visited the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, the site of mass civilian killings during the Russian invasion.

Aug. 17: China announced it will send troops to Russia to participate in joint military exercises alongside the armed forces of India, Belarus and other countries. Russia plans to hold the Vostok-2022 drills from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5.

Burial ceremonies continued for victims of Bucha. Local authorities said 21 unidentified victims were buried on this day, with numbers instead of names used to label their tombs.

Aug. 18: President Zelenskyy hosted the head of the U.N. and president of Turkey, discussing issues including the embattled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the deaths of war prisoners. U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres heralded a deal struck in July to resume Ukraine's grain exports as a "victory for diplomacy" and said 560,000 metric tons of grain and other food have so far departed the country.

Russia launched a barrage of rockets into the city of Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, killing at least 17 civilians and destroying homes and a dormitory for deaf people.

Starbucks' former flagship coffee shop in Moscow reopened under new ownership and a new but similar brand: Stars Coffee. The Russian co-owners are restaurateur Anton Pinskiy and rapper Timati. The Seattle-based company announced its exit from Russia in May, citing the country's "horrific attacks on Ukraine."

Aug. 19: French President Emmanuel Macron had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Macron's office said Putin agreed to allow an international mission of experts to assess reported damage at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine.

The U.S. is sending weapons, valued at $775 million, to help Ukraine fight Russian forces in the southern part of the country that's become the main battleground, the Defense Department said. The latest package includes drones, anti-mine vehicles and anti-tank missiles.

Aug. 20: Daria Dugina, daughter of influential Russian nationalist theorist Alexander Dugin, was killed in a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow. Dugin's allies and Russian media suggested he was the intended target. Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian agents for the killing; Ukraine's government denied any role in the incident.

Ukraine installed a mock-parade of bombed-out Russian tanks and other military hardware on the street in Kyiv.

Aug. 21: Russian forces pounded Nikopol, a southern Ukrainian town near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and hit sites near Ukraine's port of Odesa. Yet according to the U.S. think tank the Institute for the Study of War, Russian has continually failed to turn small tactical gains into operational successes.

President Biden spoke to the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom about supporting Ukraine and the concerning situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear station, in a Russian-controlled area of southern Ukraine.

Over the river from a Russian-occupied nuclear plant, a Ukrainian town fears a spill.

Ukraine's first lady posed for Vogue and sparked discussion on how to #SitLikeAGirl.

The head of the WNBA players union talks about Brittney Griner's ongoing detention.

Humanitarian groups prepare to send winter help to Ukrainians.

Examining the security of the Zaporizhzia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Demand for coal in Europe is rising amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's ambulance crews, many of them volunteers, put their lives on the line.

Ukraine's rail system is working overtime to keep people and goods moving.

Unable to leave the country, Ukrainian men worry about military drafts.

Russia's war in Ukraine is changing the world: See its ripple effects in all corners of the globe.

You can read past recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR's coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.

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Russia-Ukraine war: A weekly recap and look ahead (Aug. 22) - NPR

In the six months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Ukrainian military has conducted a stout and stirring defense, inflicting heavy casualties on Russian units and contesting every foot of ground. Against long odds, Ukraine managed to defend the capital, Kyiv, as well as its second largest city, Kharkiv. This has forced Russia to abandon its goal of a quick takeover of the country.

However, staving off defeat is not the same thing as victory. Russian forces today control about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including large tracts in the east and south. What does Ukraine need in order to win the war?

A first step must be to address the disparity in airpower. Success in modern, high-intensity warfare is almost impossible without at least parity in the air. Ukraine began the contest woefully behind the curve with perhaps 100 flyable jets compared to Russias more than 1,500. Where Russia has been able to conduct 100-200 sorties per day, the much smaller Ukrainian air force can manage around 10-20.

Accordingly, Ukraine has been generally unable to provide air support to its ground forces for fear of losing its small inventory of high-performance aircraft (mostly MIG-29 and SU-27 fighters and Su-24 and SU-25 ground attack aircraft). Instead, its approach has been to carefully husband its assets and use them only selectively.

On the other hand, Ukraine has been outstandingly successful in denying Russia air supremacy with extremely effective air defense and a strategy of air denial.

Though lacking the most advanced air defense systems such as the US Patriot or the Russian S-400, Ukraines use of older S-300 (high altitude), SA-11 (medium altitude) and SA-8 (short range) systems has been lethal to Russian airpower. The US has also provided small numbers of its NASAM short to medium-range air defense system, while Germany has promised to send decommissioned Gepard air defense vehicles, though ammunition shortages have delayed actual use.

Employed in concert with large numbers of US-supplied Stinger shoulder-fired missiles and using shoot and scoot tactics for survivability, Ukrainian air defense has downed dozens of Russian fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and largely sidelined Russian airpower. An adequate supply of air defense missiles for Ukrainian systems is essential here, and they must come from outside sources in quantity for Ukraine to prevail.

Ukraine has also used drones with devastating effect. The principal military platforms have been the Turkish Bayraktar TB2, which can deliver laser-guided bombs, and the US-supplied Phoenix Ghost drone as well as the Switchblade, a kamikaze drone with onboard explosives that can be flown into the target.

These military drones are supplemented with thousands of cheaper commercial drones used for artillery spotting and intelligence collection. Russian forces have adapted and the loss rate of Ukrainian drones is high, but low cost and ready availability mean that drones will continue to play an important role. When linked to nearby artillery units, drones enable quick target acquisition and precise fires, making the most of Ukraines limited artillery resources.

Ukrainian innovation and tactical agility have blunted much of Russias dominance in the air, but the ability to generate offensive airpower in the form of close air support and air interdiction will go far towards helping Ukraine prevail. Earlier in the war, Poland and other former Warsaw Pact nations suggested a transfer of Soviet-era jets to Ukraine, an offer blocked by US officials. If NATO is determined not to provide air cover, it is imperative that this block be removed and that partners be permitted to support the Ukrainian air force with platforms it can employ quickly to support air operations.

Backfilling these transfers with US fourth generation aircraft like the F-16 would also hasten the transition in Central Europes NATO member states from Soviet-era jets to more interoperable Western aircraft. Even 50 additional jets, with associated munitions and spare parts, could make a major difference in Ukraine. Without a boost in air support, a Ukrainian victory may still be possible if the strategy of air denial holds up, but it will come at higher costs to ground forces.

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Just as important as air support is artillery, which comes in three forms: tubed, rocket, and missile. Ukraine began the war with substantial but outdated tubed artillery from the Soviet era, complicated by a dearth of ammunition. With some 2000 artillery pieces to Ukraines 500, Russian artillery is far more numerous, modern, and powerful, with a daily consumption of artillery rounds some 10 times greater than Ukraines.

As with air defense, Ukraine has used its limited artillery intelligently, quickly relocating after fire missions to avoid counter-battery fire and relying on drones for precision targeting. The addition of towed 155mm howitzers from the US and smaller numbers of 155mm self-propelled systems from Germany, France and other countries has strengthened Ukraines tubed artillery holdings considerably, but Russias advantage is still strong.

Here the US can help with M109A6 155mm self-propelled howitzers, recently replaced by the newer M109A7 model and now in storage in quantity. The M109A6 is an armored, tracked vehicle, more survivable against counter-battery fire, quicker to displace, and with smaller crews. It is accurate, lethal, and rugged, making it well-suited to Ukraines terrain and operational environment. Approximately 320 of these systems would give Ukraine four additional artillery brigades (one for each of its four regional headquarters), plus an additional battalion in general support for each of Ukraines 12 or so division equivalents, leaving some 10% for training and spares.

The real artillery game changer is the multiple launch rocket system in wheeled (M142 HIMARS) and tracked (M270 MLRS) variants. Both are long ranged, precise, mobile, and very destructive. Small numbers have been provided to date and have rendered excellent service. While Ukraine does field older rocket artillery systems like the BM-21 Grad and BM-30 Smerch, HIMARS and MLRS are far superior in range and precision.

As a matter of policy, the Biden administration has withheld longer ranged ATACMS ammunition that can strike targets up to 300 miles away. To level the playing field and transition to the offense with some hope of success, Ukraine probably needs some 50 or so HIMARS or MLRS systems, and it needs the ATACMS round. These capabilities will enable Ukrainian forces to strike high value targets like command posts, airfields, logistics hubs, air defense complexes, and ballistic missile launchers. Given the mismatch in airpower, long range rocket artillery has the potential to turn the tide and put Ukraine on a path towards ultimate success. Without it, victory will remain elusive.

Stronger airpower and more modern rocket artillery will greatly improve the odds, but Ukraines tank forces must also be strengthened. When the war began, Ukraines standard tank was the T-64B, an older and underpowered Soviet-era design lacking the most modern explosive reactive armor, thermal sights, and modern ammunition. While Ukraine has inflicted heavy losses on Russian armor (often using hand-held anti-tank weapons), its own tank force has been depleted and offensive breakthroughs with tank-heavy forces have not been possible.

Poland has committed to providing 240 PT-91 main battle tanks along with small numbers of Czech T-72s. To equip the Ukrainian army for offensive operations in 2023, the US should consider providing a similar number of M1A1 tanks from its large reserve stocks. Though not the very latest model, the M1A1 is more than a match for most Russian tanks and is available in large numbers.

To assist Ukraine, NATO should consider establishing a NATO Training Mission-Ukraine (NTM-U) based in Poland and developed on a scale similar to the robust training support organizations seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Led by a US three-star general with senior-level representation and staffing from the UK, France, Poland and Germany, NTM-U could provide the expertise, technical assistance, and connective tissue that is badly needed as Ukraine fights for its national existence. This organization can serve as the conduit back to the training bases and defense industries of contributing nations as well as the schoolhouse for Ukrainian commanders and staff officers.

Such full-blooded support, even without direct participation in the fighting, will undoubtedly draw Putins ire. Why should the US and its European partners risk a confrontation with a nuclear-armed Russia in this way? The clear answer is that a negotiated peace in Ukraine would be nothing of the sort. Any settlement that leaves Russia in control of occupied territory in exchange for a cessation of hostilities will reward Russia and encourage more aggression.

Western leaders can be sure that Russian success in Ukraine, even at high cost, will put NATO allies like the Baltic states squarely in Putins crosshairs. If anything, US and European reluctance to increase support for Ukraine will only reassure Putin that the West fears confrontation and will take pains to avoid it. This is not a recipe for deterring future aggression.

Nor should the West fear Russian rhetoric about the use of nuclear weapons. Distilled to its essence, this amounts to the threat of a nuclear exchange if Russia is not allowed to invade and occupy its neighbors. The nuclear deterrence regime that has been in place since the 1950s is surely strong enough to deter such wild adventurism.

Constant statements from Western leaders claiming we cannot risk WWIII only encourage Putin to believe that reckless threats about nuclear weapons are working. While a nuclear event cannot be ruled out entirely (Russia might stage a low-yield tactical nuclear detonation in a remote area, for example, to frighten and intimidate the West), the use of nuclear weapons in combat when the existence of the Russian state is not at risk is extremely unlikely.

The outcome of the conflict in Ukraine will have consequences far beyond Europe. China is watching carefully and will weigh the Wests commitment to its friends and partners carefully as it considers the military conquest of Taiwan, especially after the US and NATOs chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. So will Iran and North Korea.

For the most part, Russian aggression in Georgia, Crimea, the Donbas, and more broadly in Ukraine has not been met with confidence and firm resolve. Instead, the Western response has consisted of sanctions, rhetoric, and a pronounced unwillingness to risk confrontation. We should not fool ourselves here. Much is at stake.

As the war grinds on, Ukraine has advantages it can leverage. These include an educated and highly motivated military and citizenry, a well-run and efficient railway system, a good understanding of modern technology, and an adaptive and innovative approach to the problems of modern, high-intensity warfare.

An intimate knowledge of the terrain and interior lines has enabled tactical success throughout the campaign. Ukrainian leadership, both civil and military, has on the whole been markedly superior to Russias. Above all, the Ukrainian soldier has proven to be tough, resourceful and determined, a fighter who knows what he fights for and loves what he knows.

Nevertheless, Ukraine is outmatched and must have stronger outside help to avoid dismemberment and continued occupation. The US and Europe do not need to introduce ground troops in order to ensure Ukraines success. Magnificent Ukrainian resistance has badly hurt the Russian military, which is almost totally committed in Ukraine. An opportunity now exists to end further Russian aggression in the European security space for a generation, and perhaps forever.

Ukraine can win the war but victory depends on Western support that goes well beyond the current level. We cannot ignore that Ukraine, too, has suffered painful losses in troops and materiel. Ukraine has been consistent and clear about its needs. Peace in Europe, and perhaps the world, depends on meeting them.

Richard D. Hooker Jr. is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council. He previously served as Dean of the NATO Defense College and as Special Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia with the National Security Council.

The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

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Image: A Ukrainian soldier stands next to a destroyed Russian tank in Malaya Rohan village amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, May 5, 2022. (REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)

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What Ukraine needs to win the war - Atlantic Council

Ukrainians visit an avenue, where destroyed Russian military vehicles have been displayed in Kyiv, Ukraine. Andrew Kravchenko/AP hide caption

Ukrainians visit an avenue, where destroyed Russian military vehicles have been displayed in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ukraine's independence day celebrations won't have the usual fanfare as Russia persists in its invasion.

Aug. 24 marks the day when Ukraine's parliament vowed to separate from the Soviet Union in 1991. The date this year will also mark six months since the war began.

Perhaps the most striking departure from past festivities has to do with the parade.

Thousands of people walked along the way as more flat-bed trucks brought in their cargo. Andrew Kravchenko/AP hide caption

Thousands of people walked along the way as more flat-bed trucks brought in their cargo.

Instead of the Soviet-style events a ritual that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called wasteful Ukraine's military is lining the route with the burned-out husks of Russian military equipment.

"I think it's appropriate, if sad," Mykhailo Virchenko told NPR as he and his wife, Lubov, strolled past the installation on Sunday.

Children played on the cannon barrels, while friends took selfies in front of armored personnel carriers. Andrew Kravchenko/AP hide caption

"We hope that we can celebrate independence without weapons in the future. Maybe with flowers and dances instead," Lubov said.

Thousands of people walked along the way as more flat-bed trucks brought in their cargo. Children played on the cannon barrels, while friends took selfies in front of armored personnel carriers.

These are some of the etchings seen on the Russian military equipment. Left, "for Mariupol." is carved into the metal. Right, "for Mykolaiv," is written in black marker. Julian Hayda hide caption

Exposed to the elements, rust coated the armor where people etched graffiti like "revenge for Mariupol" or "for Mykolaiv," Ukrainian cities that Russia has attacked since February.

Ukrainian officials are warning civilians against gathering in major cities ahead of the holiday.

"Russia may try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel," Zelenskyy said during his Saturday evening address.

Instead of the Soviet-style events to celebrate independence day a ritual that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called wasteful Ukraine's military is lining the route with the burned-out husks of Russian military equipment. Andrew Kravchenko/AP hide caption

Instead of the Soviet-style events to celebrate independence day a ritual that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called wasteful Ukraine's military is lining the route with the burned-out husks of Russian military equipment.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser in Zelenskyy's office, said Russia would do whatever it could to make the people of Ukraine miserable.

"You'll remember they said they'd march in downtown Kyiv within three days of invading. Here we are six months later, having demonstrated how weak Russia is compared to Ukraine. So they'll want their compensation," Podolyak said.

Ukraine's Culture Ministry has confirmed there would not be any public celebration to mark the holiday. The current martial law prohibits large public gatherings.

People look at destroyed Russian military equipment at Khreshchatyk street in Kyiv. Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

People look at destroyed Russian military equipment at Khreshchatyk street in Kyiv.

"I think we can only celebrate once we win," Valentyn Paska, a Kyiv resident, told NPR. "I'm just going to work that day."

Instead, the military will conduct private flag-raising ceremonies, and some of the capital's monuments will be illuminated in blue and yellow, the flag's colors.

Drawing the attention of large numbers of pedestrians and amateur photographers in downtown Kyiv a large column of burned out and captured Russian tanks and infantry carriers were displayed. Andrew Kravchenko/AP hide caption

Drawing the attention of large numbers of pedestrians and amateur photographers in downtown Kyiv a large column of burned out and captured Russian tanks and infantry carriers were displayed.

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Ukraine's independence day celebrations won't have the usual fanfare - NPR

But even with billions of dollars worth of weapons from across Europe and North America now in Ukrainian hands, real questions remain over whether its enough, and what enough might look like.

Some of those weapons, such as the U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, have allowed Ukraine to batter Russian positions around the occupied city of Kherson. But the Russians are firing back in kind, leading to a brutal stalemate that continues to leave the southern region up for grabs, with infantry on both sides scrambling for their foxholes instead of pushing forward.

Two Russian soldiers patrol an administrative area at the Khersonvodokanal (water channel) in Kherson, Kherson region, south Ukraine, Friday, May 20, 2022. The Kherson region has been under control of the Russian forces since the early days of the Russian military action in Ukraine. This photo was taken during a trip organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense. (AP Photo)|AP Photo

The city of Kherson, which sits on the northern banks of the Dnipro River, is a gateway for Russian forces to push west toward the critical port city of Odesa. It has been occupied since early in the war, but Russian forces have been unable to push west due to Ukrainian resistance.

That holding action has been key to keeping Odesa and other Black Sea ports in Ukrainian hands, a lifeline that has allowed some shipments of grain to leave port, giving Kyiv a desperately needed economic boost.

But Ukraines telegraphing of its much-anticipated counteroffensive, the slow pace of it, and some puzzling decisions have even the most observant Russia-Ukraine analysts wondering where the push has gone.

Is it a feint from Kyiv to scramble and confuse Russian forces? Or an indication that Ukraine currently lacks the firepower to unseat Moscows hold on key territory and that a grinding war of back-and-forth gains is inevitable?

Why the public messaging around Kherson? Ill be honest with you, I dont know, but this is something that is driving me crazy, said Konrad Muzyka, a military analyst and director of Rochan Consulting, which tracks the war.

Frankly, from a military point of view, absolutely it does not make sense, because if you are a Ukrainian military commander you would much rather fight, lets say, the seven Russian battalion tactical groups that were in northern Kherson a month ago, not the 15 or 20 there now, Muzyka added, while noting that Russian losses have weakened the fighting strength of some of these battalions.

As the disastrous Russian push toward Kyiv in February and March showed, however, pushing thousands of troops toward an objective without softening the enemys defenses is a losing proposition a lesson the Ukrainians have learned.

This handout photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, shows the Russian military's Grad multiple rocket launchers firing rockets at Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP)|Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP Photo

Recent strikes against three bridges spanning the Dnipro River have rendered them inoperable and seriously disrupted Russias ability to reinforce troops in Kherson city, Nataliya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for Ukraines Southern Operational Command, said Monday.

The blows inflicted on them currently do not allow the use of these bridges for the movement of heavy equipment, she added.

Her comments came after Ukrainian forces again hit the Antonovsky Bridge, the last and biggest artery connecting the southern part of the region with the northern side. Video footage of the strikes shared online showed Russian air defense systems trying to take out the HIMARS targeting the bridge.

But the successful strikes have not been followed by significant forward advancement on the ground. Indeed, there has been little movement of Ukrainian land forces around the Kherson region, with some reports saying troops remained pinned down in the trenches by Russian shelling.

Ukraines Southern Operational Command has claimed to have liberated dozens of small towns and villages in the northern Kherson region. But they met little Russian resistance in those areas. Taking the rest of the territory will be much harder, analysts say.

That friction is being felt on both sides. While Ukraine might not be able to push as hard as needed at the moment, the blows it has struck to the Russian logistics effort is also strangling the Kremlins ambitions. Even if Russia manages to make significant repairs to the bridges, they will remain a key vulnerability, for the Kremlin, a British intelligence assessment stated on Aug. 13.

Thousands of Russian troops may now be forced to rely on resupply via just two pontoon ferry crossing points. With their supply chain constrained, the size of any stockpiles Russia has managed to establish on the west bank is likely to be a key factor in the forces endurance, the assessment said.

Dislodging even small numbers of troops from defensive positions has been one of the trickier aspects of land warfare in Ukraine. Moscows forces have demonstrated a willingness to bleed over each foot of the Donbas they have gained in six months of fighting.

It wont be any easier for the Ukrainians, and there are questions over whether they have the troops and enough artillery shells to do it.

The U.K. has taken the lead in training thousands of Ukrainian infantry soldiers in recent weeks in southeast England, and a handful of countries including Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand have said theyll soon join the effort.

Ukrainian volunteer military recruits take part in an urban battle exercise whilst being trained by British Armed Forces at a military base in Southern England, Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. MOD and British Army as the UK Armed Forces continue to deliver international training of Ukrainian Armed Forces recruits in the United Kingdom.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)|Frank Augstein/AP Photo

But that pipeline provides only about three weeks worth of basic infantry training on movements and tactics, just enough for recruits to have some cursory knowledge of the harrowing realities theyll face, but not much more.

An Aug. 11 meeting in Copenhagen saw 26 Western nations and the European Union pledge another $1.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine, money mostly aimed at providing more artillery and munitions.

Meanwhile, Russia has in recent weeks moved forces from the southern Kharkiv region near the city of Izyum and from the Donetsk region in the east, to the south to bolster its defenses around Kherson, increasing what was already a mathematical advantage in troops and equipment.

Russian forces were met with little resistance in the first days of the invasion when they seized almost all of the agriculture-rich region of Kherson, a strategically important city that sits just north of Crimea. Since then, they have reinforced their lines there and in recent weeks have built up defenses in anticipation of a Ukrainian attack.

But it has also been an uncomfortable occupation for the invaders, as they faced deep resentment from Ukrainian residents and strong resistance from special forces operating covertly in the area.

Nevertheless, Russia plans to hold a referendum in Kherson in mid-September to forcibly take the region into its fold. So if Kyiv hopes to stop the illegal vote, it needs to move fast.

Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraines National Institute for Strategic Studies, doesnt believe any Ukrainian offensive will happen quickly, considering Ukraine lacks the heavy weaponry to carry out such a maneuver. Thats a huge mistake, he said.

He said Kyiv is likely to slowly and methodically pound Russian forces and show Moscow that its position in the south is untenable.

FILE- A man who fled from a small village near Polohy rests upon his arrival to a reception center for displaced people in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on May 8, 2022. The Russian ruble is now the official currency in the Kherson region, on par with the Ukrainian hryvnia. Russian passports are being offered in Moscow-controlled parts of the Zaporizhzhia region in a fast-track procedure. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)|Francisco Seco/AP Photo

Bielieskov also suggests that Russia redeploying forces to Kherson could be a strategic error. I would even say that Russia made the situation even more precarious as more troops would need more supplies, which are vulnerable to strikes, he said.

Kyiv appears to have recognized this, and has attacked key rail and vehicle bridges crossing the Dnipro River, denying Russian troops free movement in the region.

Forcing Moscow to shift its focus and soldiers should be considered quite an achievement, Bielieskov said. Its the first time in the big war when Russia corrects its plans after Ukraines actions, he said. Before, the initiative was strictly in Russian hands.

That may not add up to the big counteroffensive that Kyiv has been indicating. But Bielieskov says the sheer number of guns and troops on the frontline isnt necessarily instructive.

He points to the underdog Ukrainian armys successful defense of Kyiv, which obliterated Russias offensive plans and forced Moscow to retreat to safer ground in the east.

The best strategists are those who fight not by textbook but find a way to do your work even with limited means, he said.

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Ukraine has telegraphed its big counteroffensive for months. So where is it? - POLITICO

Mon, Aug 15 20227:21 PM EDT

US' Women's National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, waits for the verdict inside a defendants' cage before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, on August 4, 2022.

Evgenia Novozhenina | AFP | Getty Images

The State Department said the Biden administration is speaking with the Russian government about WNBA star Brittney Griner's case.

"No element of this trial changes our judgment that Brittney Griner is being wrongfully detained and should be released immediately," State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a daily press briefing.

"That is why we've put forward a number of weeks ago what we consider to be serious a substantial proposal and an effort to seek her release, to seek the release of Paul Whelan as well," he said, referencing a June proposal the Biden administration made public last month.

"We are in communication with the Russians on this matter. And we encourage them to pursue this," Price added.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 20226:09 PM EDT

ISTANBUL, TURKIYE - AUGUST 09: An aerial view of "Glory" named empty grain ship as Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkiye and the United Nations (UN) of the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) conduct inspection on vessel in Istanbul, Turkiye on August 09, 2022. The UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal on July 22 to reopen three Ukrainian ports -- Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny -- for grain that has been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its sixth month. (Photo by Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from Ukraine said it has approved five more vessels to leave the besieged country.

The vessel Propus is carrying 9,111 metric tons of wheat and is destined for Romania. The ship named Osprey is carrying 11,500 metric tons of corn and is headed to Turkey. The vessel Ramus is also headed to Turkey and is loaded with 6,161 metric tons of wheat.

The ship named Brave Commander is carrying 23,300 metric tons of wheat to Djibouti and will be later transferred to Ethiopia. The vessel Bonita is carrying 60,000 metric tons of corn and is destined for South Korea.

All five ships are expected to leave on Tuesday.

The Joint Coordination Center, an initiative of Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, also separately authorized the movement of three more ships pending inspections.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 20224:17 PM EDT

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conducts a press briefing on the launch of the 3rd brief by the GCRG (Global Crisis Response Group) on Food, Energy and Finance at UN Headquarters.

Lev Radin | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Russia's Minister of Defense said he spoke with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Russia's Sergei Shoigu discussed the safe operation of the facility and gave an update on events taking place on the ground, according to a Kremlin statement posted on the Telegram messaging app.

The two also discussed the U.N. initiative to facilitate the export of Russian fertilizers as well as Ukrainian agriculture products.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 20223:37 PM EDT

A Russian serviceman patrols the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Energodar on May 1, 2022. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, seized by Russian forces in March, is in southeastern Ukraine and is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world.

Andrey Borodulin | Afp | Getty Images

The spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General denied Russian claims that U.N. officials were canceling or blocking visits from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

"First, the IAEA is a specialized agency that acts in full independence in deciding how to implement its specific mandate. Second, the U.N. Secretariat has no authority to block or cancel any IAEA activities," wrote U.N. Secretary-General spokesman Stphane Dujarric in a statement.

Dujarric added that the U.N. supports a potential IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, should both Russia and Ukraine agree.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 20223:16 PM EDT

Ukrainian evacuees react in a bus while they drive on a road east of Kharkiv on May 30, 2022, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Genya Savilov | AFP | Getty Images

A Ukrainian official said Russian forces are currently carrying out reverse deportations of Ukrainian citizens.

Ukrainians who have been earlier forcibly taken away from Mariupol to Russia are now being returned from Pskov, Russia back to Mariupol, according to Petro Andryushchenko, who serves as an advisor to Mariupol's mayor.

Andryushchenko said on the messaging app Telegram that the groups of Ukrainian deportees have become a headache for local authorities.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 20222:36 PM EDT

Soldiers who were among several hundred that took up positions around a Ukrainian military base stand near the base's periphery in Crimea on March 2, 2014 in Perevalne, Ukraine.

Sean Gallup | Getty Images

The British military said in an intelligence update that Russian forces may not be able to occupy all of Donetsk in Ukraine.

"The Kremlin will likely see the military's failure to occupy the entirety of Donetsk Oblast thus far as a setback for its maximalist objectives in Ukraine," the British Ministry of Defense wrote in a statement on Twitter.

Russia has focused most of its hostilities in Ukraine's easternmost regions, including the area surrounding the city of Donetsk.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 20222:05 PM EDT

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the assembly during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on May 26, 2022.

Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty Images

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Berlin would not back several fellow European countries that have called for an EU-wide move to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens.

The nations backing such a ban say that Russians should not be able to take vacations in Europe while Moscow wages war in Ukraine. Finland and Denmark want an EU decision and some EU countries bordering Russia already no longer issue visas to Russians.

"This is not the war of the Russian people. It is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war and we have to be very clear on that topic," Scholz said.

"It is important to us to understand that there are a lot of people fleeing from Russia because they are disagreeing with the Russian regime," he told a press conference on the sidelines of a one-day meeting of the five Nordic leaders in Oslo to which the German chancellor was invited.

Associated Press

Mon, Aug 15 20221:00 PM EDT

Maria Pshenychnykh, 83, sits in the kitchen of her war-damaged home near Kharkiv on May 18, 2022 in Vilkhivka, Ukraine, which had until recently been occupied by Russian forces. Seniors in the city have been relying on humanitarian aid, as their monthly government pension payments were suspended due to the fighting. In recent weeks Ukrainian forces have advanced towards the Russian border after Russia's offensive on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city stalled.

John Moore | Getty Images

Russia's war in Ukraine has left 17.7 million people in serious need of humanitarian aid, according to United Nations estimates.

"Millions of people across the country have endured months of intense hostilities without adequate access to food, water, health care, education, protection and other essential services," the group wrote in a report. "Massive destruction of civilian infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without their homes or livelihoods."

The U.N. warned that more people will be affected by the upcoming winter season.

"Too many are now living in damaged homes or in buildings ill-suited to provide protection for the upcoming harsh cold season, where the sub-zero temperatures could be life-threatening," the U.N. said.

The U.N. estimates that since Russia's war in Ukraine began more than five months ago, humanitarian organizations have scaled up operations in order to reach 11.7 million people.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 202212:35 PM EDT

A serviceman with a Russian flag on his uniform stands guard near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2022.

Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plantis operating with the risk of violating radiation and fire safety standards, according to an update from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office.

Russian forces took control of the facility in March, a few days after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

"Ukraine calls on the world community to take urgent measures to force Russia to give back control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for the sake of the security of the whole world," the statement added.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 202211:54 AM EDT

Ukrainian soldier Igor Ryazantsev with the Dnipro-1 regiment keeps watch outside his tent during a period of relative calm around their position near Sloviansk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. Members of the unit believe a Russian advance could be impending with the aim of seizing the strategic city.

David Goldman | AP Photo

The Ukrainian government extended its martial law for another 90 days as Russia's war marches into its sixth month.

Martial law is declared in an emergency and temporarily replaces civilian rule with military authority. The Ukrainian government will reassess if martial law needs to be extended again on November 21, according to an update posted on the Telegram messaging app.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 202211:32 AM EDT

Volunteers lower into a grave a coffin with one of fourteen unidentified persons killed by Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, during a burial ceremony in the town of Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine August 9, 2022.

Valentyn Ogirenko | Reuters

The United Nations has confirmed civilian 5,514 deaths and 7,698 injuries in Ukraine since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because the armed conflict can delay fatality reports.

The international organization said most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles and airstrikes.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 202210:54 AM EDT

Volunteers help to bring food rations to a food aid distribution center, managed by different NGOs and called "Everything is going to be allright", in the city center of Kramatorsk on July 11, 2022 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Miguel Medina | AFP | Getty Images

The World Food Program estimates that 20% of Ukrainians have insufficient food due to Russia's invasion.

"The situation is particularly concerning in the eastern and southern parts of the country, where one in every two families is facing challenges in putting food on their table," the World Food Program wrote in a report.

The group estimates that about 40% of female-headed families in hostile regions are food insecure and need help addressing specific dietary needs, especially those who are pregnant and breastfeeding.

"People with chronic illnesses or disabilities are also facing increasing challenges," the World Food Program wrote.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 202210:22 AM EDT

Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on "Department of Defense's Budget Requests for FY2023", on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 7, 2022.

Sarah Silbiger | Reuters

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Armed Forces Gen. Valery Zaluzhny over the weekend.

"They discussed the unprovoked and ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and exchanged perspectives and assessments. The chairman once again reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," according to a Pentagon readout of the call.

Milley last spoke with Zaluzhny on Thursday, the third call between the two leaders this month.

Amanda Macias

Mon, Aug 15 20229:30 AM EDT

President Vladimir Putin claimed Russia's weaponry is potentially decades ahead of its foreign counterparts.

"Promising models and systems that are future-oriented and will determine the future of the armed forces are of particular interest," he said. Putin was speaking at the opening of the "Army 2022" international military-technical forum on Monday.

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Russia urged to withdraw forces from Ukrainian nuclear power plant; Putin turns to North Korea for friendship - CNBC