Ukrainian Emergency Service - handout one time use, ASSOCIATED PRESS
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities that Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war -- one tinged with uncertainty and fear.
It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation.
kAmw6C6 :D 2 =@@< 2E E96 6G6?ED :? &<C2:?6 :? E96 DA2? @7 2 H66< E92E 92D 7F?52>6?E2==J 2=E6C65 E96 DE2<6D @7 E96 H2Cik^Am k9am$&}sp*i &]$] 2AAC@G6D DEC:<6D FD:?8 =@?86C\C2?86 p>6C:42? H62A@?Dk^9amkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3:56?\F<C2:?6\=@?8\C2?86\H62A@?D\CFDD:2\da5cac'dg'ga56a_cc644g3747_''7h4Qm(2D9:?8E@? 62D65 =:>:ED @? H92E &<C2:?6 42? DEC:<6k^2m H:E9 :ED p>6C:42?\>256 pC>J %24E:42= |:DD:=6 $JDE6>[ @C p%pr|$[ 27E6C >@?E9D @7 CF=:?8 @FE DF49 2 >@G6 @G6C 762CD @7 6D42=2E:?8 E96 4@?7=:4E 2?5 3C:?8:?8 23@FE 2 5:C64E 4@?7C@?E2E:@? 36EH66? #FDD:2 2?5 }p%~]k^AmkAm%96 492?86 42>6 27E6C E96 &]$][ $@FE9 z@C62 2?5 }p%~ D2:5 }@CE9 z@C62? EC@@AD H6C6 :?D:56 #FDD:2 2?5 36:?8 56A=@J65 E@ 96=A |@D4@H 5C:G6 &<C2:?:2? EC@@AD 7C@> #FDD:2'D zFCD< C68:@?] qFE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^F<C2:?6\CFDD:2\H2C\3:56?\H92E\2C6\2E24>D\>:DD:=6D\g5gea'ba'27g4efb35ca2dehb4a25'7cQmE96 D4@A6 @7 E96 ?6H 7:C:?8 8F:56=:?6D H2D?'E 4=62Ck^2m]k^Amk9am|~}sp*i #FDD:2 H2C?D @7 6D42=2E:@? :7 (6DE6C? H62A@?D 2C6 FD65 :?D:56 :ED E6CC:E@C:6Dk^9amkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F<C2:?6\>:DD:=6\2EE24<\DF>J\d45c7h76a466'26g265ef5eb4aa3_f_bQm%96 zC6>=:? H2C?65k^2m E92E q:56?'D 564:D:@? H@F=5 6D42=2E6 :?E6C?2E:@?2= E6?D:@?D 6G6? 9:896C]k^AmkAm"xE :D @3G:@FD E92E E96 @FE8@:?8 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :? (2D9:?8E@? :?E6?5D E@ E2<6 DE6AD[ 2?5 E96J 92G6 366? E2=<:?8 23@FE E9:D[ E@ 4@?E:?F6 255:?8 7F6= E@ E96 7:C6 2?5 AC@G@<:?8 7FCE96C 6D42=2E:@? @7 E6?D:@?D 2C@F?5 E9:D 4@?7=:4E[" DA@<6D>2? s>:ECJ !6D<@G D2:5]k^Amk9am%&t$sp*i &<C2:?6 7:C6D p>6C:42? =@?86C\C2?86 >:DD:=6D :?E@ #FDD:2 7@C 7:CDE E:>6j !FE:? =@H6CD E9C6D9@=5 7@C ?F4=62C 2EE24<k^9amkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F<C2:?6\H2C\'___\52JD\2EE24<\_e__a4g4d_373a74eaa7cce2gdg_34_6Qm&<C2:?6 7:C65 D6G6C2= p%pr|$[ DEC:<:?8 2? 2>>F?:E:@? H2C69@FD6k^2m :? #FDD:2'D qCJ2?D< C68:@?[ E96 7:CDE E:>6 zJ:G 925 FD65 E96 H62A@?D :?D:56 6?6>J E6CC:E@CJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ H:56DAC625 C6A@CED] &<C2:?:2? @77:4:2=D 92G6 ?@E @77:4:2==J 4@?7:C>65 E96 DEC:<6D H9:49 @44FCC65 @? E96 '[___E9 52J D:?46 E96 :?G2D:@?]k^AmkAmp=D@ %F6D52J[ #FDD:2? !C6D:56?E '=25:>:C !FE:? 7@C>2==J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\?F4=62C\5@4EC:?6\AFE:?\h'7a_6_4h3_7h6d622b65hf4bdfghghgQm=@H6C65 E96 E9C6D9@=5 7@C FD:?8 ?F4=62C H62A@?Dk^2m[ @A6?:?8 E96 5@@C E@ 2 A@E6?E:2= ?F4=62C C6DA@?D6 3J |@D4@H E@ 6G6? 2 4@?G6?E:@?2= 2EE24< 3J 2?J ?2E:@? DFAA@CE65 3J 2 ?F4=62C A@H6C] %92E 4@F=5 :?4=F56 &<C2:?:2? 2EE24<D 324<65 3J E96 &]$]k^Amk9am(ts}t$sp*i &]$] 2AAC@G6D 8:G:?8 &<C2:?6 2?E:\A6CD@??6= >:?6Dk^9am kAmx? E96 D64@?5 >2;@C D9:7E :? &]$] A@=:4J[ E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2??@F?465 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F<C2:?6\H2C\FD\6>32DDJ\H2C?:?8\bfhga7dah2db7g52e6dd'3c''egfhdchQm:E H:== 8:G6 &<C2:?6 2?E:A6CD@??6= >:?6Dk^2m E@ 96=A D=@H #FDD:2'D 32EE=67:6=5 25G2?46D] q:56? 925 AC6G:@FD=J AFE @77 D:8?:?8 @77 @? E9:D 3642FD6 @7 :?E6C?2E:@?2= @3;64E:@?D E@ E96 FD6 @7 DF49 >:?6D 5F6 E@ E96 C:D<D E96J A@D6 E@ 4:G:=:2?D] #FDD:2 56A=@JD E96> 7C66=J]k^AmkAm&]$] s676?D6 $64C6E2CJ {=@J5 pFDE:? D2:5 E96 D9:7E :? (2D9:?8E@?'D A@=:4J H2D ?66565 E@ 4@F?E6C 492?8:?8 #FDD:2? E24E:4D]k^AmkAm&<C2:?6 2=D@ DECF4< E2C86ED :?D:56 #FDD:2 FD:?8 E96 qC:E:D9 $E@C> $925@H >:DD:=6[ 2? 6BF:G2=6?E @7 E96 p%pr|$ DJDE6>[ 7FCE96C G6I:?8 |@D4@H]k^AmkAm%96 &]$] 2?5 D@>6 @E96C (6DE6C? 6>32DD:6D :? zJ:G E6>A@C2C:=J 4=@D65 :? C6DA@?D6 E@ E96 E9C62E @7 2 A@E6?E:2==J >2;@C #FDD:2? 26C:2= 2EE24< @? E96 &<C2:?:2? 42A:E2=]k^Amk9am%w&#$sp*i #FDD:2 FD6D ?6H[ 6IA6C:>6?E2= 32==:DE:4 >:DD:=6 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6k^9amkAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F<C2:?6\:43>\2EE24<55?:AC@\bg3_727e665a467hg3534h36'g7dgaccQmzC6>=:? 7:C65 2 ?6H :?E6C>65:2E6\C2?86 32==:DE:4 >:DD:=6k^2m 2E &<C2:?6 :? C6DA@?D6 E@ zJ:G'D FD6 @7 p>6C:42? 2?5 qC:E:D9 >:DD:=6D[ !FE:? D2:5]k^AmkAmx? 2 E6=6G:D65 255C6DD E@ E96 4@F?ECJ[ E96 #FDD:2? AC6D:56?E H2C?65 E92E &]$] 2:C 5676?D6 DJDE6>D H@F=5 36 A@H6C=6DD E@ DE@A E96 ?6H >:DD:=6[ H9:49 96 D2:5 7=:6D 2E '_ E:>6D E96 DA665 @7 D@F?5 2?5 H9:49 96 42==65 E96 ~C6D9?:< -- #FDD:2? 7@C 92K6=?FE EC66 -- 32D65 @? #FDD:2'D #$\ae #F36K9 :?E6C4@?E:?6?E2= 32==:DE:4 >:DD:=6[ H9:49 42? 42CCJ ?F4=62C H2C9625D]k^AmkAm!FE:? 2=D@ D2:5 :E 4@F=5 36 FD65 E@ 2EE24< 2?J &<C2:?:2? 2==J H9@D6 >:DD:=6D 2C6 FD65 E@ 2EE24< #FDD:2] |@D4@H 82G6 (2D9:?8E@? 2 b_\>:?FE6 H2C?:?8 @7 E96 2EE24<[ H9:49 DECF4< 2 H62A@?D 724E@CJ :? E96 46?EC2= &<C2:?:2? 4:EJ @7 s?:AC@]k^Amk9amu#xsp*i }p%~ 42==D 6>6C86?4J >66E:?8 2D &<C2:?6VD A2C=:2>6?E 4=@D6Dk^9amkAm}p%~ 2?5 &<C2:?6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F<C2:?6\H2C\>:DD:=6\A2C=:2>6?E\5bfc54g42_72eae6efc5ah57_'46hd45QmD4965F=65 6>6C86?4J E2=<Dk^2m D=2E65 7@C %F6D52J[ E96 2==:2?46 D2:5] %96 >66E:?8 H:== 36 96=5 2E E96 C6BF6DE @7 &<C2:?6 2?5 H:== 4@?G6?6 2E E96 =6G6= @7 2>32DD25@CD]k^AmkAm&<C2:?6'D A2C=:2>6?E 2=D@ 42?46=65 2 D6DD:@? 2D D64FC:EJ H2D E:89E6?65 :? E96 4:EJ] {2H>2<6CD D2:5 E96C6 H2D 2 4C65:3=6 E9C62E @7 2? 2EE24< @? 8@G6C?>6?E 3F:=5:?8D]k^AmkAm&<C2:?6VD A2CE?6CD H6:8965 :? @? E96 52?86C@FD ?6H A92D6 @7 E96 4@?7=:4E] !@=2?5'D !C:>6 |:?:DE6C s@?2=5 %FD< D2:5 E96 4@?7=:4E :D "6?E6C:?8 2 564:D:G6 A92D6Q 2?5 "E2<:?8 @? G6CJ 5C2>2E:4 5:>6?D:@?D]"k^Am