Eurotopics.net

After eight months of occupation, Russia has withdrawn its troops from the regional capital Kherson to the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. The Ukrainian military took control of the city on the weekend. Now the Ukrainian forces have the task of defusing mines and getting the electricity and water supplies back up and running. Europe's press examines how Kyiv's recapture of the city will affect the course of the war.

Critical voices are growing louder in Russia: local politicians are collecting signatures demanding Putin's resignation and even pro-Kremlin media are somewhat sceptical about the conduct of the war. Yet according to official data, the candidates of Putin's party won a clear victory in regional elections last week, although observers see numerous indications of fraud. Commentators discuss the significance of these developments.

In her State of the Union address today, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented proposals for alleviating the consequences of rising electricity prices. They include making energy companies share their excess profits and setting compulsory electricity-saving targets for member states. Commentators discuss whether these demands make sense.

In the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, around 100 people have been killed in a new spate of attacks. Commentators see this as a consequence of the changed balance of power due to the war in Ukraine and fear further escalation.