Nearly nine months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainians received a huge morale boost after pushing Russian forces out of the city of Kherson. Kherson is a key city in southeastern Ukraine that lies on the Dnieper River; on the other side of the river is mainland Russia. When Russia started its invasion of Ukraine back in February, Kherson was one of its first targets. Within weeks, Russian forces occupied the city, but not without strong resistance. In the last few weeks, Ukraine has launched counterattacks to regain full control of Kherson, forcing Russian troops to evacuate farther east. The victory gives Ukraine a huge boost of momentum in its fight to maintain independence from Russia.

Earlier this month, a missile strike crossed into Poland, killing two civilians. The incident marked the first bloodshed on NATO territory. Many people were quick to assume that the missiles were deliberately launched by Russia. Fortunately, Polish and American intelligence agencies worked together to analyze the explosion area. After a thorough investigation, experts concluded that the missiles were Ukrainian air defense missiles that flew off course. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly denied these claims, insisting that the rockets were Soviet-style missiles that could only have been launched by Russia. Although the missile strike was most likely an accident, one thing is certain: global tensions continue to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensifies.