Russian forces continue their slow war of attrition in eastern and northern Ukraine, even as the conflict approaches a decisive stage with a series of high-level meetings as part of US President Donald Trump's efforts to broker peace.
In the three and a half years since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the front lines have slowly shifted, and some surprise attacks have also changed the map.
Let's look at some of the key events of the conflict.
February 24, 2022: Russian President Vladimir Putin launches an invasion of Ukraine from the north, east and south. Russian troops quickly reach the outskirts of Kyiv, but their attempts to capture the capital and other cities in the northeast meet with determined resistance.
March 5, 2022: The Russian offensive on Kyiv and Kherson reaches its peak. The port city of Mariupol is surrounded.
April 2, 2022: Ukraine defeats Russian forces in Kyiv, pushing them back to Chernihiv.
August 29, 2022: Ukraine's first counteroffensive begins in the east and south.
September 30, 2022: Russia illegally annexes the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine, although none of the four regions are fully controlled.
September-November 2022: During the first counteroffensive, Ukrainian troops recapture vast territories in the Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, including the city of Kherson itself.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
