With Russia in retreat on the battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the stakes on Wednesday with the announcement that Russian reservists would be mobilised and referendums held in areas of Ukraine on joining Russia, all while he made threats to the West.

Major developments in current affairs are rarely isolated events, but often the result of decades of history in the making. Historians and international affairs experts have argued that Russia's war in Ukraine is no exception, though they don't all agree about the cause.

In an interview with FRANCE 24 from Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba struck a defiant tone, saying that the planned annexation this Friday by Russia of four Ukrainian regions following so-called referendums changes "nothing" for Ukraine and the world.

Russia's military has called up over 300,000 reservists for duty in its war against Ukraine. But countries bordering Russia report almost 200,000 Russian nationals have crossed since the mobilization was declared. Others are staying and protesting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promoted his close accomplice, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, to colonel general. Who is Putin's self-avowed 'foot soldier'?

The papers are analysing how Saturday’s bombing of a bridge in Crimea is both a strategic and symbolic “slap in the face” for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Russia's FSB security service has said Ukrainian intelligence orchestrated an attack on the key transport link. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Zelenskyy has called for an "air shield."

Moscow has repeatedly made threats that the war in Ukraine could escalate to a nuclear conflict. But is the Russian president really prepared to deploy nuclear weapons?

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 following Russia’s recent missile attacks on Ukraine, Lithuania’s Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said the reason civilians are being targeted is because Russia is “losing on the battleground”, and want to “create panic and exert pressure on Ukrainian society - and us”.

The Turkish president said his government would quickly start working on plans for the project — despite facing criticism from fellow NATO members over his relations with Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A wave of missile attacks the likes of which had not been seen in months: Russian missiles rained down on cities across Ukraine this week, including in Lviv, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and many others. The attacks follow the explosions on the Kerch bridge that links Russia to the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.

Putin, army preparing Russian public for Kherson withdrawal: Analyst