Putin prepared for 'prolonged conflict'; House approves nearly $40 ...

It wasn’t just the money.House approves nearly $40 billion in aid to Ukraine as it fights off Russian aggressionZelensky praises Ukraine’s first president, Leonid Kravchuk, who died Tuesday Updates from key cities: U.S. intelligence official warns of prolonged assaultUkraine has killed as many as 10 Russian generals, U.S. intelligence official saysShelling hits Mariupol plant hospital; regiment begs that wounded be evacuatedPutin appears prepared for ‘prolonged’ conflict, war could grow more volatile in coming months, U.S. official warnsBiden and Italian prime minister voice solidarity with UkrainePelosi: House to vote on nearly $40B Ukraine aid package Tuesday nightU.S., E.U. and Britain accuse Russia of cyberattack on UkraineFinland’s parliamentary defense committee recommends NATO membershipHow The Post covers war in Ukraine using newsgathering, social mediaU.S. delivers first helicopter to UkraineIn Ukraine, gas shortages further complicate daily lifeUkrainian song takes center stage at Eurovision — and new meaning amid warWhy did WNBA stars flock to Russia? It wasn’t just the money.House approves nearly $40 billion in aid to Ukraine as it fights off Russian aggressionZelensky praises Ukraine’s first president, Leonid Kravchuk, who died Tuesday Updates from key cities: U.S. intelligence official warns of prolonged assaultUkraine has killed as many as 10 Russian generals, U.S. intelligence official saysShelling hits Mariupol plant hospital; regiment begs that wounded be evacuatedPutin appears prepared for ‘prolonged’ conflict, war could grow more volatile in coming months, U.S. official warnsBiden and Italian prime minister voice solidarity with UkrainePelosi: House to vote on nearly $40B Ukraine aid package Tuesday nightU.S., E.U. and Britain accuse Russia of cyberattack on UkraineFinland’s parliamentary defense committee recommends NATO membershipHow The Post covers war in Ukraine using newsgathering, social mediaU.S. delivers first helicopter to UkraineIn Ukraine, gas shortages further complicate daily lifeUkrainian song takes center stage at Eurovision — and new meaning amid warThis live coverage has ended. It’s been 75 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, and as the battle becomes a grinding war of attrition, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be preparing for “a prolonged conflict,” a top U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday, as the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved nearly $40 billion in additional aid for Kyiv.With no clear end in sight, the war could grow even more volatile in the coming months, Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, warning of an “unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory.” She said Putin’s aims extend beyond controlling eastern Ukraine and include establishing a land bridge connecting Russia, the Donbas region and Crimea.In Washington, the House’s bipartisan support for the sweeping military, economic and humanitarian package sends the bill to the Senate, where it is also expected to pass.Here’s what else to knowNews•News•News•When Jonquel Jones, today the reigning MVP of the WNBA, arrived in Russia in 2018 to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, the first thing that shook her was the jet.“You go to the airport and straight on to your plane,” Jones said. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s objectives probably go beyond capturing the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, and include consolidating control of a land bridge between Russia, Donbas and Russian-held Crimea to the south, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said.Here are updates from key cities:Izyum: A Ukrainian official said Tuesday that 44 bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a building in Izyum, a strategically important town that has been at the center of Russia’s military advance in the eastern Donbas region. Vershynin said the 100 figure was wrong, without giving further detail.However, he said there are more than 500 wounded people, a number that is increasing “every day.”The Azov Regiment made a desperate plea, to the government of Ukraine and to the world, to evacuate the wounded troops.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that his government had tried “all possible diplomatic tools” to rescue the Ukrainian soldiers that remain in the plant, but that Russia had not agreed to any of the proposed plans.A top U.S. intelligence official on Tuesday warned that with no clear end in sight the Ukraine-Russia war could grow even more volatile in the next several months.Putin is believed to be prepared for a “prolonged” conflict in Ukraine, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.The next month or two will be significant, Haines said, as Russian forces look to regroup after its unsuccessful attempt to capture Kyiv and could move the war along a more “unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory.”In the short term, she told senators to prepare for more “ad hoc” decisions from Russia as it figures out how to achieve its aims in the face of fierce resistance by Ukrainian forces.The Russian president’s objectives extend beyond capturing the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and include consolidating control of a land bridge between Russia, Donbas region and Russian-held Crimea to the south, she said.Haines said other goals include occupying Kherson in the south and controlling the waters in the Black Sea off Crimea. “We have a moral responsibility to deliver this support to help end the grievous loss of life, hold Putin and his cronies accountable, and protect global democracy.”The United States, the European Union and Britain are blaming Russia for a cyberattack that crippled a satellite Internet company, resulting in the disruption of service for tens of thousands of satellite modems in Ukraine and other European countries at the outset of Russia’s war in Ukraine on Feb. 24.“The United States is joining with allies and partners to condemn Russia’s destructive cyber activities against Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.The attack on the U.S.-based Internet satellite firm Viasat was one of Moscow’s boldest cyber offensives of the conflict, disrupting communications in Ukraine just an hour before Russian forces marched in, the E.U. said in a separate statement.The Washington Post first reported in March that U.S. intelligence analysts concluded that Russia was behind the attack, which also knocked out service for thousands of European wind turbines, but the United States was not ready to make a public attribution at the time.Blinken said the United States has developed new mechanisms to help Ukraine identify cyberthreats and recover from attacks.“We have also enhanced our support for Ukraine’s digital connectivity, including by providing satellite phones and data terminals to Ukrainian government officials, essential service providers, and critical infrastructure operators,” he said.