On Ukraine’s third independence day at war, what does the future hold for its people? Our panel’s verdict

The Kursk offensive and Putin's hubris give the country hope. But Ukrainians are under no illusion that peace will come soon

When the new Russian assault on Ukraine's northern Kharkiv region began in May I travelled there to see how it was coping. Everywhere I saw billboards portraying firefighters and communal workers on duty, with the slogan Kharkiv invincible". Residents were angry about the bombs falling on their heads, but alongside fear there was grim optimism and determination.

Nataliya Gumenyuk is a Ukrainian journalist and CEO of The Public Interest Journalism Lab