Holding the Russians off has become a game of whack-a-mole for outnumbered Ukrainian troops, with Russia frequently opening new lines of attack.

An emboldened Russia has ramped up military offensives on two fronts in Ukraine. That is scattering Kyiv’s precious reserve troops and threatening to expand the fighting to a new Ukrainian region as each side seeks an advantage before the fighting season wanes in the autumn.

Russia unleashed a massive drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, hours after US President Donald Trump expressed frustration at failing to make any progress toward ending Moscow’s war on Ukraine during a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.