Tuesday briefing: With no end in sight, Ukraine reckons with trauma, triumph – and the path ahead

In today's newsletter: After 18 months of brutal fighting, the country has stunned the world with its warcraft, even as our foreign correspondent details the mood among citizens, reports of corruption and prospects for peace talks

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Good morning. Today marks 559 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with no sign of resolution in sight.

First Edition today is for those of you who, like me, need a recap on where the conflict is at. Maybe you are feeling a bit guilty for taking your eye off this relentless battle and want to understand why Volodymyr Zelenskiy sacked his defence minister on the weekend. Perhaps you were wondering whether Ukrainian defiance is waning after 18 months of brutal warfare, or whether the Ukrainians in your spare room are likely to be able to return home any time soon.

Conservatives | The school buildings crisis is threatening to engulf Downing Street, with Rishi Sunak accused of slashing the budget for repairs while his education secretary was caught claiming colleagues had done nothing to stop it. Rishi Sunak faces the prospect of a byelection after the former Tory MP Chris Pincher lost an appeal against an eight-week suspension from parliament.

North Korea | Kim Jong-un will reportedly travel to Russia this month to meet Vladimir Putin and discuss the possibility of supplying weapons to the Kremlin for the war in Ukraine.

Labour | Angela Rayner will become deputy prime minister if Labour wins the next election and has been named shadow levelling up secretary during Keir Starmer's long-awaited shadow cabinet reshuffle. MPs on the Blairite right made significant gains at the expense of the centre-left. Lisa Nandy is taking on the international development brief, her second demotion in two years.

Crime | Two people have been charged with murder after the discovery of partial human remains in Boscombe, Dorset police have confirmed. The force said the victim had been identified as 49-year-old Simon Shotton from Bournemouth. His family have been informed.

Healthcare | Ministers are considering introducing Martha's rule in England to make it easier for patients and their families to get a second medical opinion. Martha Mills, who would have been 16 on Monday, died after developing sepsis while under the care of King's College hospital NHS foundation trust in south London.