Moscow has opened a new front with Ukraine after taking several villages near Kharkiv. Russia’s spring offensive takes form as President Vladimir Putin replaces defence minister Sergei Shoigu with another Kremlin loyalist – Andrei Belousov, the deputy prime minister in charge of the economy.
In a nation that has fully embraced the transition to a war economy, what does this reshuffle mean as Putin embarks on his fifth term?
And what are the prospects for an outmanned and outgunned Ukraine that can neither afford to keep fighting nor to embrace peace on Putin’s terms for the sake of its own survival.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Guillaume Gougeon and Imen Mellaz.
