In Izium, in eastern Ukraine, the buildings are in ruins and services are spotty. Barely recovered, its residents worry that more mayhem may lie ahead.
Russian forces are fortifying positions in southern Ukraine after retreating from Kherson, and the Kremlin denied planning to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Ukrainian soldiers are exulting in their smashing of Russian lines in the northeast. They engaged enemy troops up close, and gained confidence from it.
When they pulled Serhiy Sova’s body from a grave in Izium, his wrist bore a bracelet in Ukraine’s colors, given to him by his children. The image has transfixed the nation.