Despite media coverage dying down surrounding the conflict, the war in Ukraine is still very real for those caught in the crossfire.

As the country is still not safe and is quickly running out of necessities, citizens are encouraged to stay underground, sheltered from Russian attacks. On May 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with citizens to continue to listen for air raid sirens and local curfews as the war goes on.

As of May 12, Russia has gained military control of the regions around Luhansk and Donetsk and has besieged the port city of Mariupol. However, their attempts to capture the major cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv have been unsuccessful as they were met with strong Ukrainian resistance.

What Putin expected to be a short and easy win for the Russian military has spanned longer than 10 weeks. Since he declared war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russia has suffered great losses, losing 26,000 troops, 1,170 tanks, 199 planes and 158 helicopters among other various war equipment. This is due to the military’s flawed invasion plan and Putin’s underestimation of Ukraine’s fighting capabilities.

“Russia’s invasion plan is highly likely to have been based on the mistaken assumption that it would encounter limited resistance and would be able to encircle and bypass population centres rapidly,” said the Ministry of Defense. “The miscalculation led to unsustainable losses and a subsequent reduction in Russia’s operational focus.”

As far as Russia’s future plans go, The Kremlin was expected to use May 9, known as Victory Day (a date dedicated to remembering the Soviet force’s victory over the Nazis in World War 2), to announce further military mobilization. Instead, during his speech, Putin did not threaten further nuclear action and did not comment on tensions with the west, despite previously criticizing Europe and the U.S. for sending aid to Ukraine. Although he did not say the conflict would end anytime soon, according to the New York Times, Putin might be concerned there is not enough public support for the war efforts as troops have low morale and the effects of sanctions are being felt.

As the war continues, numerous countries are still showing their support for Ukraine by providing them with funds and supplies to aid them in their fight against Russia. Although no one knows how the war will end, we can only hope it ends in a peaceful and fair outcome.