Russia’s war in Ukraine is set to reach the 500-day mark this weekend, a grim milestone for a conflict that rages with no end in sight. While the fighting has fallen largely into a stalemate—there has been no significant movement in battle lines control in months—the war continues to take a heavy toll on the lives and livelihoods of lakhs of people. The stakes are only getting higher.

Volunteer military medics tie the knot in the Donetsk region