When a major conflict flares up in one part of the world – as with the Gaza crisis of late – a regrettable consequence can be that coverage and attention get diverted away from other equally significant global news hotspots.
That certainly feels the case with the Ukraine war in recent months, where the freezing winter has made battlefield gains extremely tough. But with the war’s second anniversary nearly upon us, the world’s focus is returning to the eastern frontline where the picture for Kyiv is decidedly mixed.
As Shaun Walker reports in this week’s big story, the fall of the strategic town of Avdiivka to Russian troops has come at a grim time for Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. While the army is struggling to hold ground, war fatigue is setting in among parts of the population and disagreements among the leadership have been spilling into the open.
At the same time, the death of the jailed Russian critic Alexei Navalny last week – widely seen as another political assassination – appears to emphasise the strengthening hand of Vladimir Putin, who is expected to secure another six-year term as Russia’s president in tightly controlled elections next month. Amid a familiar wave of international outrage, our Russia affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer asks what Putin might do next.
Coupled with the possibility of a Donald Trump victory in the US elections later this year, it all makes for a deeply worrying outlook for Ukraine, reflected in the Kyiv-based illustrator Sergiy Maidukov’s haunting cover artwork for the magazine this week.
“This war is the hardest test of my life, similar to an endless ultramarathon,” writes Sergiy. “It is good to try to not think about the finish when running long distance. This is important knowledge to endure.”
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
1
The big story | Why Alexei Navalny could never settle for exile
Perhaps Putin’s arch-critic might have been able to coordinate from abroad a powerful anti-war movement, writes Shaun Walker. Instead, he has been silenced for ever
2
Spotlight | The prisoner who could be key to ending the Gaza crisis
Marwan Barghouti is respected by secular nationalists and Islamists alike, and his much called-for release after two decades in jail for terror charges could bring a ceasefire closer, write Oliver Holmes and Peter Beaumont
3
Health | Hip op, and don’t stop
Our science correspondent Nicola Davis delves into the life-changing advances happening around hip and knee replacements
4
Feature | Super bowls: the secrets of the pet food industry
Pet food is a $200bn industry, with vast resources spent on working out how best to nourish and delight our beloved charges. But how do we know if we’re getting it right, asks Vivian Ho
5
Culture | Martin Scorsese: is he talking to us?
At 81, the great film director suddenly has a second career as a social media star. He tells Steve Rose about working with his daughter and his journey from the mean streets of 1940s New York
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What else we’ve been reading
Ireland will continue their defence of rugby union’s Six Nations Championship this weekend with a mouth-watering clash against a young Wales side in Dublin. Ahead of a prospective 70th cap for Irish powerhouse Robbie Henshaw, I really enjoyed reading this analytical take on why Ireland look unstoppable in this year’s tournament, despite tweaks in key personnel. Eimhin Behan, marketing executive
1946 … 1999 …1971 … 2024? What was the best ever year for film? This week saw the UK’s big film shindig, the Baftas. While Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was the big winner this year, this article debating the best year for films sent me down a rabbit hole of overlooked gems and (possibly mangled) favourite film quotes. Ask yourself, do you feel lucky? Neil Willis, production editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Audio | Nitazenes and xylazine: what’s behind the rise of dangerous synthetic drugs?
• Video | Trampling Victoria’s Alps: how brumbies are destroying the native habitat
• Gallery | Backstage at the 2024 Baftas – in pictures
• Live event | Off the record with Aditya Chakrabortty
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