In Kyiv, South African leader urges Russia and Ukraine to de-escalate. KYIV - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday called on Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate their conflict, as he arrived in the war-torn country on a mission to broker peace.

After talks in Kyiv, the African delegation has met Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge an end to the conflict. Meanwhile, Ukraine says its counteroffensive is advancing in the south.

Once again, the war in Ukraine is affecting the country's culture. Flooding following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam has destroyed significant archaeological sites.

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam and reservoir in southern Ukraine could lead to the desertification of thousands of hectares of fertile land, with potentially grave consequences across the world, including famine.

A Russian missile attack has killed ten in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, officials say, while the death toll in the Kakhovka dam disaster has also risen.

Peace experts believe Russia's war on Ukraine will drag on for years, possibly decades. They recommend that the German government prepares its citizens for the tough battles ahead.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told US President Joe Biden that Ukraine was "making progress" in the battlefield even though the Kyiv counterattack was still in its "early days."

While the flood from the Kahkovka dam blast has decimated towns, the lower reservoir level has also impacted supplies of drinking water. Meanwhile, in Russia, a US citizen has been detained.

Kyiv said it had made the first modest gains in reclaiming territory from Russia as part of its counteroffensive. DW has the latest.

Ukraine declared a full mobilisation at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, banning military-age men from leaving the country so that they could be called up to fight at any time. Days after Russia attacked, so many people were lining up to head to the front line that military commissariats were turning some away. But not everyone wants to fight. As the war drags on and the casualties mount, many are looking for ways to avoid it.

President Zelenskyy said he has visited the flood-hit region of Kherson, as rescue efforts continue following the breach of the Kakhovka dam and says more help is needed.

In the year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war's carbon bootprint is similar to the entire emissions of Belgium, conflict emission experts say.