KYIV, Ukraine (AP):

Russia’s struggle in Ukraine reached the 500-day mark this weekend, a grim milestone for a battle that rages endlessly.

While the preventing had fallen largely right into a stalemate, Ukraine’s authorities and it’s Western supporters hope a broad counteroffensive launched final month will change the battle strains and return Russian-occupied areas to Ukrainian management.

In the meantime, the struggle continues to take a heavy toll on the lives and livelihoods of lots of of 1000’s of individuals. And the stakes are solely getting increased.

A month in the past, a serious dam that Russia controls in southern Ukraine collapsed, flooding a whole area with a poisonous torrent that left demise and destruction in its wake in addition to long-term environmental penalties.

Fears of a nuclear catastrophe have elevated, notably final week after Ukraine and Russia accused one another of planning to assault one of many world’s largest atomic energy crops.

Long-range missiles fired by Russia to deplete Ukraine’s air defences have killed dozens of civilians. Many had been killed or wounded whereas eating in a pizza restaurant within the east and 10 died final Thursday when their condo constructing within the western metropolis of Lviv was struck whereas they slept.

An tried mutiny by a Russian mercenary chief introduced a style of the struggle’s chaos to Moscow and uncovered cracks in Russia’s navy management, additional elevating the stakes.

Saturday marks 500 days since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Peace talks are a great distance off as each side look to enhance their hand, with Ukraine’s forces attempting to recapture as a lot territory as they will and Russia intent on holding illegally annexed areas.

This collection of images exhibits a number of the affect the struggle.