Russia Attacks Civilians, Alla Pugacheva,The Chef Recruits Prisoners

A missile struck a hotel in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, over the weekend.Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

Russia has begun using Iranian-made attack drones to counteract heavy artillery provided by the U.S. The State of the War A Critical Moment: After success in the northeast battlefields, Ukraine is pressing President Biden for more powerful weapons. But Mr. Biden wants to avoid provoking Russia at a moment U.S. officials fear President Vladimir V. Putin could escalate the war. Ukraine’s Counteroffensive: As Ukrainian troops try to inch forward in the east and south without losing control of territory, they face Russian forces that have been bolstered by inmates-turned-fighters and Iranian drones. In Izium: Following Russia’s retreat, Ukrainian investigators have begun documenting the toll of Russian occupation on the northeastern city. They have already found several burial sites, including one that could hold the remains of more than 400 people. An Inferno in Mykolaiv: The southern Ukrainian city has been a target of near-incessant shelling since the war began. Firefighters are risking their lives to save as much of it as possible.  Alla Pugacheva, a pop music icon once called “the most popular human being in Russia,” declared her opposition to the invasion.   A video showed Russian mercenaries offering to release convicts from prison in return for a six-month combat tour in Ukraine.   When Russian troops withdraw, they leave a trail of anonymous death.