'The big battle is coming': Ukrainian forces prepare for the war's most intense phase

Russia and Kyiv both need a breakthrough but a major offensive will be loaded with risk whoever strikes first In the clear sky over the winter-yellowed marsh grasses on the outskirts of the town of Huliaipole, the bang and crump of artillery picked up pace like the thunderclaps of a distant but approaching storm. The Russian armed forces declared on Sunday that they had launched a new offensive in Zaporizhzhia region, but the Ukrainian soldiers seemed unperturbed. The frontline here has not move...