Russian troops have been shelling Kharkiv nonstop for over three weeks now. The city's residential areas and historic center are completely destroyed, and necessities like food and medicines are difficult to come by. More than 100 civilians have been killed, while hundreds of thousands of others have fled the city. Meduza spoke to some of the people who remain about what life is like in Kharkiv and what's motivating them to stay.

In early March, the Telegram channel ZaTelecom published several government documents, which seemingly hinted that the Russian authorities were preparing to disconnect the country from the "external" Internet. The authenticity of these memos has yet to be confirmed. At this writing, Russia remains connected to the global Internet -- but could the authorities really pull the plug? For answers to this and other key questions, Meduza turned to lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan, the co-founder of the digital rights group Roskomsvoboda.

As the war against Ukraine grinds on, Russia's state television networks continue to rack up resignations. Last week, Channel One employee Marina Ovsyannikova staged a one-person antiwar protest on a live news broadcast; special correspondent Zhanna Agalakova resigned from the network at the same time. Shortly after, Dmitry Likin, who has worked as Channel One's art director for over 20 years, submitted his resignation as well. Meduza special correspondent Svetlana Reiter spoke with Likin about his decision.

On March 14, during a live broadcast on Russian state television network Channel One, a station employee named Marina Ovsyannikova ran out on stage behind the news anchor, unfurled an antiwar sign, and shouted antiwar slogans. After the broadcast, Ovsyannikova was immediately arrested; she was later convicted of participating in an unauthorized protest and fined 30 thousand rubles (about $250). The authorities are now conducting a preliminary inquiry into Ovsyannikova. Meduza special correspondent Svetlana Reiter spoke with Ovsyannikova about her start at Channel One in the 2000s -- and why this war was her breaking point.

The war arrived in Kyiv on February 24, the day Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Three weeks later, what's happening on the front lines indicates that Moscow still hopes to take the Ukrainian capital -- Russian forces are still trying to encircle Kyiv (albeit unsuccessfully). Many of the city's residents have fled. Mayor Vitaly Klitchko says "one in two" have left, which means the local population has dwindled to less than two million people. All of Kyiv's remaining residents -- and not only those who are taking part in the defense -- are bracing themselves for encirclement and siege. After spending a week and a half in Kyiv, Meduza special correspondent Liliya Yapparova reports on how the war has changed this previously vibrant city beyond recognition.

Almost every weekday, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov holds a briefing where he responds to questions from journalists, including those reporting from abroad like Meduza. Below is an excerpt from Peskov's briefing on March 17.

On March 16, Vladimir Putin held a meeting on "socioeconomic support measures for Russia's regions." At the beginning of the meeting, he gave a speech dedicated not just to the war but to a "fifth column" within Russian society -- "traitors" who have a "slavish mentality." Read Meduza's brief retelling of Putin's speech below.

On March 16, both RT and Radio Sputnik reported that a "founding congress" for "a new governing body" called the "Rescue Committee for Peace and Order" had been held in Ukraine's Kherson region. RT's reporting included a video that shows several people sitting at a table in the regional administration building; one man says that the "current regional authority has effectively ceased to exist" and that the region needs a structure "that can take responsibility for restoring order." He then adds that "for him personally," "the Russian Federation is a priority." Both RT and Sputnik's articles are titled "Kherson's new regional authorities call for establishing ties with Russia."

After three weeks of all-out war, Ukrainian officials have begun to show "a degree of cautious optimism" about the talks underway with Russia. On March 16, Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych even suggested that Kyiv "should reach an agreement with Russia now or within a week or two." In a special interview for Meduza, Kit journalist Elizaveta Antonova spoke with Mykhailo Podolyak -- an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, who has been taking part in the negotiations. Here's how he assessed the prospects of a peace deal.

On Tuesday, March 15, the world learned of the deaths of two more journalists in Ukraine. Their car was shot at on March 14 in the village of Horenka, near Hostomel.