The Latest on the War in Ukraine - Day 71

Ukrainian forces repelled Russian troops from areas around Kharkiv amid growing signs Russia’s offensive in the east may be faltering.

• There are growing signs Russia’s new military offensive in eastern Ukraine is faltering after Ukrainian forces said they managed to recapture villages near the country’s second largest city—Kharkiv.
• Russia’s battlefield setbacks come before its May 9 Victory Day celebration—marking Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany; Putin is likely to use the event to try to present the invasion as succeeding.
• Analysts say Putin may also used the occasion to falsely portray the invasion as a new war on Nazism, thereby preparing the Russian people for a prolonged conflict.
• Russian forces launched a renewed effort to attack Ukraine’s railway network and critical infrastructure in order to prevent the resupply of Ukrainian troops, resulting in bombardments across Ukraine.
• Russian troops also renewed their assault on the steel plant in Mariupol—a last holdout in the city. Hundreds of civilians evacuated from the plant in recent days, but an estimated 200 remain.
• The New York Times reported Ukraine’s forces had targeted and killed Russian generals with help of US battlefield intelligence—a revelation likely to fuel worries of an escalation into a wider war.