Ukraine is holding ground it seized inside Russia. Yet Ukraine is losing villages inside its own territory. And in the Black Sea, the Russian Navy has been forced to retreat.
Ukraine has long sought the U.S.-made warplanes, saying they're needed to counter Russia's superior air power. Four NATO members have pledged F-16s, though it wasn't clear who sent them, or how many.
Most major military operations are shrouded in secrecy. Ukraine's planned offensive against Russia has been under public debate for months. This has created expectations. Some realistic, some not.
Human Rights Watch suggests that Ukraine scattered so-called petal mines in and around the city of Izium. Petal mines are prohibited under the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, of which Ukraine is a signatory.
Western defense officials are meeting to coordinate military assistance to Ukraine. Germany has resisted their efforts to persuade the country to export its Leopard 2 tanks, or allow others to do so.
The Female Pilots of Ukraine is the first of its kind in the country at a time when the Ukrainian military has been using drones for reconnaissance and fighting against Russian forces.
Though Italy's new prime minister vows to continue the country's staunch support for Ukraine, much of the public is critical of Italian weapons deliveries and analysts say the government may waver.
While Ukraine's counteroffensive this month was hailed as stunning by military observers, Ukrainian troops tell NPR that Russian forces put up stiff resistance in parts of the Kharkiv region.
Progress has been slow but Ukrainian military officers say U.S.-supplied rockets and training are making a difference from when NPR visited in the spring.
