Coronation Street’s Lucy Fallon has spoken about a period in her life that saw her spend five weeks in a mental health hospital.

The actress, who is 30, currently plays Bethany Platt in the ITV soap. It was during the first Coronavirus lockdown in 2020 that saw Lucy struggle with her mental health and, at the time, she struggled to see how she could move forward.

Lucy ended up getting admitted to The Priory, a hospital that specialises in treatment for mental health.

‘I was just at the absolute rock bottom that I’ve ever, ever felt. And I really, really, really struggled. I had a really bad batch of mental health towards the end of 2020 and I ended up being in The Priory for about five weeks because my mental health was so bad. I couldn’t see a way out of feeling how I was feeling.’

Continuing her chat on Johnny Seifert’s Secure the Insecure podcast, Lucy explained that her family played a huge role in getting her some help.

‘I ended up having to go to hospital, and it was from that point that other people were involved – my mum and my sisters and people that I’d worked with before. It almost felt like other people, other factors, were telling me, “Right, you need some serious help now. It’s gone a bit too far”. I really didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to go and I even remember getting there. I really, really did not want to go in.’

When Lucy first arrived at the centre, she felt as though she wasn’t ‘bad enough to be there’.

‘It almost felt like this just feels a bit alien and a bit strange, like, I don’t know why I’m here’, she said.

After a few weeks though, Lucy started to settle in.

‘I got to grips with it. And actually after a week of being there, I liked it. I felt quite safe. I met quite a lot of people there who I sometimes still keep in contact with now.’

‘It took me a while to adjust’, Lucy added, revealing that she moved back in with her parents once she came out of the hospital.

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‘Coming out and being in the real world and just having to carry on felt strange. But I also had a really good support system around me.

‘Going and being with my mum and dad for a few weeks after, rather than just going back to my house, was a really nice thing – especially to have your tea cooked for you every night. And all my washing done as well.’

Life has changed a lot for Lucy since she went to The Priory.

‘It seems like a completely different life’, she noted, reflecting on the period.

‘I feel like that was a totally different version of me. And I’ve been lucky enough to say that I did manage to get myself out of it, because I know for so many people that’s not the reality and you can stay on that level and it’s really hard to get out of feeling like that.’

‘I just accepted that, that was a blip in my mental health and in my own journey. I do deserve to be happy and to be in the relationship that I’m in, and I deserve the job that I’ve had. I’ve worked really hard.

‘I don’t know if it was to do with being at The Priory for five weeks. I don’t know if it was that. But things just kind of stayed at a good level for me.’

Lucy is in a relationship with Ryan Ledson, a 28-year-old professional footballer.

The couple welcomed their daughter Nancy in January 2025, two years after the birth of their first child, Sonny, who arrived in January 2023.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will use Tuesday’s State of the Union to champion his immigration crackdowns, his slashing of the federal government, his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down and his ability to direct quick-hit military actions around the world, including in Iran and Venezuela.

The Republican hopes he can convince increasingly wary Americans that his policies have improved their lives while ensuring that the U.S. economy is stronger than many believe — and that they should vote for more of the same in November.

The balancing act of celebrating his whirlwind first year back in the White House while making a convincing case for his party in midterm races where he personally won’t be on the ballot is a tall order for any president. But it could prove especially delicate for Trump, given how happy he is to veer off script and ignore carefully crafted messaging.

A main theme will be that the country is booming with a rise in domestic manufacturing and new jobs, despite many Americans not feeling that way. “It’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,” said Trump, who promised a heavy dose of talk about the economy.

The president is also expected to decry the Supreme Court ruling against his signature tariff policies and talk about his attempts to maneuver around that decision without depending on Congress or spooking financial markets. He’s also likely to urge lawmakers to increase military funding and tighten voter identification requirements, while defending immigration operations that have drawn bipartisan criticism following the shooting deaths of two American citizens.

Jeff Shesol, a former speechwriter for Democratic President Bill Clinton, said Trump has typically used State of the Union addresses to offer more conventional tones than his usual bombast — but he’s still apt to exaggerate repeatedly.

“His job, for the sake of his party, is to show the silver lining,” Shesol said. “But if he’s going to insist that the silver lining is gold, no one’s buying it. And it will be a very difficult position on the campaign trail for Republicans to defend.”

Michael Waldman, Clinton’s former chief speechwriter, said second-term presidents “have a tough job because what they all want to say is, ‘Hey, look what a great job I’ve been doing — why don’t you love me?’”

Affordability questions loom large

No matter what his prepared remarks say, Trump relishes deviating into personal grievances, meaning Tuesday will probably feature topics like denying that he lost the 2020 presidential election.

His lack of messaging discipline has been on display after concerns about high costs of living helped propel Democratic wins around the country on Election Day last November. The White House subsequently promised that the president would travel the country nearly every week to reassure Americans he was taking affordability seriously. But Trump has spent more time blaming Democrats and scoffing at the notion that kitchen-table issues demand attention.

Trump instead boasts of having tamed inflation and says he has the economy humming given that the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently exceeded 50,000 points for the first time.

Such gains don’t feel tangible to those without stock portfolios, however. There also are persistent fears that tariffs stoked higher prices, which could eventually hurt the economy and job creation. Economic growth slowed the last three months of last year.

Waldman, now president of the Brennan Center for Justice, which advocates for democracy, civil liberties and fair elections, said previous presidents faced similar instances of “economic disquiet.”

That created a question of “how much do you sell vs. feeling the pain of the electorate,” he said.

Shesol noted that Trump has “always believed — going back to his real estate days — that he can sell anyone on anything.”

“He’s still doing that. But the problem is, you can’t tell somebody who has lost their job and can’t get a new one that things are going great,” Shesol said. “He can’t sell people on a reality that for them, and frankly for most Americans, does not exist.”

It is potentially politically perilous ahead of November elections that could deliver congressional wins to Democrats, just as 2018’s “blue wave” created a strong check to his administration during his first term.

Several Democrats in Congress, meanwhile, plan to skip Tuesday’s speech in protest, instead attending a rally known as the “People’s State of the Union” on Washington’s National Mall.

Foreign policy in focus

Trump’s address comes as two U.S. aircraft carriers have been dispatched to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran.

The president will recount how U.S. airstrikes last summer pounded Tehran’s nuclear capabilities, and laud the raid that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Nicolás Maduro, as well as his administration’s brokering of a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

But he also strained U.S. military alliances with NATO, thanks to his push to seize Greenland from Denmark and his failure to take a harder line with Russian President Vladimir Putin in seeking an end to its war in Ukraine.

Making any foreign policy feel relevant to Americans back home is never easy.

Jennifer Anju Grossman, a former speechwriter for Republican President George H.W. Bush and current CEO of the Atlas Society, which promotes the ideas of author and philosopher Ayn Rand, said Trump can make clear that Maduro’s socialist policies wrecked Venezuela’s economy to the point where one of the world’s richest oil countries struggled to meet its own energy needs.

Now, oil from that country will help lower American gas prices.

Still, when it comes to overseas developments, she said, “I think it’s going to be a bit of a challenge to make clear why this is relevant to the domestic situation.”

TAPALPA, Mexico (AP) — Maria Dolores Aguirre’s family corner store has lived off tourism that has flowed into her charming cobblestoned town of Tapalpa, tucked away in the mountains of Jalisco state.

That was until gunshots erupted and helicopters flew overhead as the Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful drug lord, just a few kilometers (miles) from her home.

Now, the 50-year-old Aguirre worries that the bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change towns like hers. It is something many in the western Mexican state are grappling with, from its Pacific Ocean beaches to its capital Guadalajara that will host matches in June for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“It’s going to affect us. It’s collateral damage,” Aguirre said. “The government is going to have to have a lot of security. … The entire world just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming.”

Fighting between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Mexican security forces raged on in a number of states Monday, fueling fears among many like Aguirre that there will be more violence to come.

More than 70 people died in the attempt to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes and its aftermath, authorities said Monday. Known as “El Mencho,” he was the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against Mexican government officials.

The White House confirmed that the U.S. provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of “El Mencho.”

The death of Oseguera Cervantes came as Mexico’s government has stepped up its offensive against cartels in an effort to meet demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to crack down on criminal groups, threatening to impose more tariffs or take unilateral military action if the country does not show results.

Mexico hoped the death of one of the world’s biggest fentanyl traffickers would ease that pressure, but many people were anxious as they waited to see the powerful cartel’s reaction.

Oseguera Cervantes died after a shootout with the Mexican military on Sunday. Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla said Monday that authorities had tracked one of his romantic partners to his hideout in Tapalpa. The cartel leader and two bodyguards fled into a wooded area where they were seriously wounded in a firefight. They were taken into custody and died on the way to Mexico City, Trevilla said.

In the aftermath, a sense of unease simmered in tourist towns.

The Pacific Ocean resort city of Puerto Vallarta also was hard hit by cartel reprisals, frightening tourists.

Steve Perkins, 57, was visiting Puerto Vallarta with his wife Gayle and some friends. They were on their hotel room’s terrace when explosions and black smoke started appearing around the city Sunday morning.

Their return to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was delayed when their flight was canceled Monday and they were rebooked for March 1.

Perkins and his wife have been taking annual trips to Puerto Vallarta since 2012 and have always felt safe, until now. He said they don’t plan on returning to Mexico.

“There’s a lot of Americans trapped here,” Perkins said.

Back in Tapalpa, Aguirre worked next to her son from the small neighborhood shop her family has owned for 50 years. The 15-year-old’s classes were canceled due to the violence.

Aguirre said it was unclear who exactly was in control of the area surrounding her: the military or the cartel. The other question on her mind was if this was just a one-off, or if there was more violence to come.

“We don’t know if these people (cartel leaders) are permanently here or not,” she said. “If they really did kill this leader, it could be that they fight between each other to win control or see who will lead it.”

__

AP writer Juan Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.

Gary Neville has insisted Benjamin Sesko must start for Manchester United against Crystal Palace this weekend, warning Michael Carrick that leaving him on the bench again could ‘kill’ the young striker.

Sesko was United’s saviour once again on Monday night, coming off the bench in the second-half against Everton to score a wonderful counter attack goal that sealed all three points.

The Slovenia international is still to start a game under Michael Carrick but has been lethal off the bench, scoring vital goals in injury time against Fulham and West Ham United having netted three in his last four appearances.

Including goals under Darren Fletcher, who briefly took the reins following Ruben Amorim’s departure, the former RB Leipzig star has now scored six in his last seven appearances.

Former United captain Neville now believes Sesko will be demanding a starting role when Palace visit Old Trafford on Sunday.

‘His celebration I think was a message to everybody,’ the former United star told The Gary Neville Podcast.

‘It was a message saying “get me in this damn team now. This is my start next time”. I think he will have been really disappointed having scored a wonderful goal against west ham not to be in the team today.’

He continued: ‘For Sesko now, I think on Sunday against Crystal Palace, he starts. And I haven’t always been convinced about him this season. 

‘But what you have to do is move with what you see. United have struggled in the last couple of games against West Ham and Everton.

‘He looks like he’s growing in his game and his body and his confidence is high so I think on Sunday Michael Carrick starts him. I think it would kill the lad if he didn’t start on Sunday.’

Carrick has made very few changes to his starting XI in his six games in charge with injuries for Patrick Dorgu and Lisandro Martinez enforcing the two he has made to date.

But Neville believes Sesko’s form will now prompt a reshuffle with Amad Diallo set to lose his place in the side as a result.

‘We will probably see Matheus Cunha on the left, Bryan Mbeumo on the right, Sesko up top and Bruno in behind,’ Neville said, looking ahead to Sunday’s game.

‘And I think Amad will just slip in behind for a game. Amad has been really good but Sesko has to start, he’s been scoring winners and equalisers, you have to put him in.

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In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to child immunisation specialist Dr Helen Bedford, professor of Children’s Health at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. They discuss how serious this latest epidemic is, the different factors that have led to the latest measles outbreak, as well as reality test potential solutions like keeping non-vaccinated children out of school. Plus, Tamara also speaks to the Standard’s trainee journalist, Niva Yadav, about how parents in affected areas are coping with news of the outbreak.

Top performing services are awareded ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission

GP surgeries across Cambridgeshire are committed to delivering high-quality care to their patients. The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of healthcare providers in the country highlights the effectiveness and impact of provider’s care.

The CQC’s quality ratings for health and social care services in England implement a four-tier rating system with the top performing services being awarded an outstanding grade. This means that the service is performing “exceptionally well”, according to CQC.

Inspectors look at five key aspects when evaluating a service. This includes the safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness, and the leadership of each surgery.

These ratings are publicly available on CQC’s website and help people to make informed choices on their healthcare provider and identify any areas that need improvement. Numerous surgeries across the county have achieved outstanding, and therefore establishing themselves as the best in Cambridgeshire.

Cambridge Access Surgery

Newmarket Road, Cambridge

The latest inspection at this surgery was in December 2021. It received an overall rating of outstanding and was also later reviewed in July 2023. Cambridge Assess Centre is a provider of specialist GP services and offers a range of services to patients that are homeless, at risk of homelessness or housed in sheltered accommodation.

Inspectors said: “There was an outstanding caring culture within the practice and we saw many examples. Staff treated all the patients as individuals and patients we spoke with confirmed this.”

Granta Medical Practices

London Road, Sawston, Cambridge

This practice was last inspected in October 2019 and achieved an overall outstanding rating. Granta Medical Practices later had a review in July 2023. Inspectors found that the services provided were ‘outstanding’ for families, children and young people as well as for people experiencing mental health and those whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

Inspectors said: “Patients were supported and tested with dignity and respect and were involved in partners in their care.”

Acorn Surgery

Oak Drive, Huntingdon

Again, this was rated an overall outstanding in their latest inspection in January 2017. Acorn Surgery also later had a review in June 2019. Each key area was awarded outstanding except caring and safety where they were graded at good. Individual ratings for specific services were awarded outstanding including care for those with long term conditions, families children and younger people, and older people as well.

Inspectors said: “Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.”

Buckden and Little Paxton Surgeries

Mayfield, Buckden, St Neots

Buckden and Little Paxton Surgeries earned an overall outstanding rating in their latest inspection in March 2016. It was later reviewed in July 2023. The surgery was graded outstanding for specific services including for those with long term conditions, working age people, and those experiencing poor mental health.

Inspectors said: “Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was a continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.”

Ben Shephard has spoken about how he has changed over the years, with The Summit presenter opening up a little more about the dynamic within his marriage to Annie

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Presenter of ITV’s This Morning Ben Shephard has said he is “ruthless” in sticking to one rule in his and wife Annie’s family life.

Ben, 51, made the admission after talking about how important his wife had been to him. Ben has been married to Annie for over 20 years and together they share two sons, Sam, 21, and Jack, 19.

Speaking with The Big Issue about what he would tell his younger self, and what would surprise younger Ben about current Ben, The Masked Singer star said it would be how strict he is about dirty laundry.

He said: “Probably that my bed is made and I get really annoyed that my boys don’t put their pants in the wash basket.

“I was not a particularly tidy teenager and now my teenage boys would argue that I’m the most ruthless when it comes to keeping bedrooms tidy.

“So that would be quite a sea change. I think my final words for my younger self would be just put your washing in the basket and be nicer to your old man.”

Before this, Ben said how much he values his life with his wife Annie. He said: “I am very aware that in my relationship, my wife is the most important person. I have learned more from her than anyone in my life.”

Ben has previously has talked lovingly about his partner in recent weeks, despite admitting they often live separate lives due to work commitments.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said that Annie, an interior designer, feels content while spending time alone.

He explained: “Annie is much more solitary than me. She’s much happier in her own company. Half the time she’s like ‘I need a bit of space. Can you leave me alone for five seconds, please?’.”

However, Ben was quick to point out how Annie is the most important factor in their family and that they enjoy spending time together whenever they can.

He added: “We do live quite separate lives. I’m off working, she has her job, which is garden and interior design. If I’ve got spare time I want to do something physical.”

Ben currently hosts The Summit, a new ITV show in which 14 contestants try to reach the top of a mountain on New Zealand’s South Island, with competitors aiming to win a share of a £200,000 prize.

For snooker’s biggest star, Ronnie O’Sullivan has played a relatively minor role in the story of this season and his rivals do not think the main character is being missed too much.

The 50-year-old has not been totally absent, playing in eight tournaments so far this campaign, but he has opted out of more events than he has entered.

Form struggles have also made this a quiet campaign for the Rocket, with early exits at the likes of the UK Championship, International Championship and recent World Grand Prix.

There has really just been one standout run, which came at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August where O’Sullivan made the final, only losing in a deciding frame to Neil Robertson.

The semi-final in Jeddah was even more memorable than that epic final thanks to the Rocket’s two 147s in a win over Chris Wakelin.

However, that was his highlight in an otherwise dull campaign, which could not spark into life at the Players Championship last week or the ongoing Welsh Open as the Rocket chose not to enter either.

World number one Judd Trump says that players are now entirely used to O’Sullivan not being around and feels he should not rush back, given his recent performances.

‘No, I don’t even think about it,’ said Trump at last week’s Players Championship. ‘It’s not until you mention it that I realise that he’s not here.

‘I just think he’s an amazing player, but the way he’s played recently, he’s been quite poor. So I think it’s better for him to take that time out and when he’s willing to put the work in and whatever it is…I think he’s still struggling with his cue as well.

‘I don’t think he’s found the right cue from what I’ve see him play, he’s nowhere near. The mistakes he makes he never made with his old cue, never.

‘And I think obviously the more you get older and the less he plays, the less sharp he’s going to be and it’s just going to get harder and harder.

‘So, I think it’s going to be difficult for him now. Ronnie can turn it on at any point, but I think he’s a little bit more vulnerable.

‘He used to be invincible against some players and he’d just have to turn up and they’d kind of crumble, wouldn’t they? Now it just doesn’t seem that that happens as much. People are a lot more comfortable playing him.

‘But I’m sure there’s going to be one tournament in the next year or two where he’s going to be unbelievable and he’s still capable of amazing things.’

Similarly to Trump, John Higgins feels it has become normal for a tournament to be without the Rocket, but any appearance he does make should be appreciated.

‘To be brutally honest, he’s not playing really a lot now,’ said Higgins. ‘So I think all the guys just enjoy him now, when he does appear, you know what I mean?

‘But he’s obviously got different things going on in his life, and he can’t be around forever. So just enjoy him while he’s still playing some events.’

‘I think it’s still too reliant on Ronnie. It’s mind-boggling at times’

Mark Allen does feel that having the Rocket in a field brings an added excitement to an event, but snooker has the ideal opportunity to create new stars as the seven-time world champion slows down his schedule.

However, the Pistol does not think enough is being done to push new talents into the limelight.

‘It is what it is. Ronnie’s just at that stage of his career,’ said Allen. ‘He’s always going to do what he wants to do. I think the good thing for the game in general is that it’s becoming more common, so it’s giving the events a chance to be popular without Ronnie.

‘I think there’s no doubt there’s a better buzz when he’s involved. I absolutely love playing him. The crowd and stuff, that’s basically what we started playing snooker for, to play in those types of matches.

‘But it’s up to WST and the media guys to really push the rest of the tour now because Ronnie probably doesn’t have a lot of years left and we have to try and create the next superstar.

‘I think it’s still too reliant on Ronnie. It’s mind-boggling at times, I understand he’s the big name in the sport, I completely get that, but you’re not going to create the next Ronnie O’Sullivan in the media if you don’t give them a chance.

‘There’s a lot of people that have been doing really well in recent years that haven’t got the coverage they deserve.’

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I’m standing in the middle of Belgorod’s central square, and I can see three white, squat structures around the perimeter.

Next to the theatre and the regional parliament building, they look out of place.

The word “ukrytiye” is printed in red on the side of each one. It means “cover”.

Follow latest updates on the Ukraine war

They are bomb shelters, and there are hundreds all over the city. Supposedly, they’re temporary, but two years after being installed, they feel increasingly permanent.

When the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine four years ago, bomb shelters on home soil were definitely not part of the battle plans.

Nor were the barricades at Belgorod’s bus stops. Nor the anti-drone nets draped over its schools and shopping centre. Nor the now frequent blackouts and power cuts.

But by exporting war, Russia also brought it home, and Belgorod has been on the frontline of Ukraine’s retaliation.

At 25 miles (40km) from the border, it is the closest Russian city to the fighting.

We meet 80-year-old Lyudmila outside her apartment block on the outskirts of the city, a few hours after it has been hit by drones.

One crashed into her bedroom while she and her husband Vladimir were at home.

“It flew in through the window, hit the floor, exploded and then flew into the other room,” she tells us, still in shock.

As we’re looking up at the charred brickwork, an air raid siren sounds.

“Again,” Lydumila sighs, before showing us inside to take shelter.

When the siren stops, we make our way up to her apartment, where I’m hit by a smell of burning as soon as the door opens.

There are cracks in the walls and scorch marks on the floor. The furniture inside has already been removed by emergency crews because there’s nothing left to salvage.

The blast would almost certainly have killed the couple had they been in the same room.

“We are so tired, you cannot even imagine,” she says.

“Lord, what did we do to deserve this? We lived in Ukraine, we were friends. And look at this, now we’re fighting each other.”

It is rare to hear people discuss the war so openly in Russia, where any criticism of it can land you behind bars.

But Belgorod isn’t like other Russian cities. The war can feel distant and detached in other parts of the country, but not here.

There is a constant threat of attack, as we find out first-hand.

‘Lucky escape’

We are on our way to the town of Shebekino, five miles (8km) from the Ukrainian border, when suddenly there’s a loud bang.

“Stop!” one of the team yells. “Quick, get out!” Our vehicle has just been hit by a drone.

We jump out and race across the ice for cover behind the wall of a derelict factory.

We don’t know where the drone came from. Our radar scanner didn’t show any threats.

We believe it was a “sleeper” drone that had been lying in wait for a potential target.

For some reason, its pilot, operating the machine remotely via an onboard camera, chose our car.

Laden with explosives, kamikaze drones are designed to detonate on impact.

This one didn’t. Instead, it lay smouldering in the road before the military arrived to take it away.

It was a very lucky escape and a terrifyingly close illustration of the everyday dangers for people in the region.

‘Alone in our grief’

Like Moscow, Kyiv denies targeting civilians.

But as in Ukraine, civilians in Russia have been killed in the war too, albeit on a much smaller scale.

At least 440 people have died in the Belgorod region since the fighting began, according to the local authorities, compared to more than 15,000 the UN says have been killed in Ukraine.

Liza’s mother, Viktoriya, died when Belgorod was shelled just over two years ago.

She had been out shopping with Liza, whose left leg was amputated after being hit by shrapnel. She was eight months old at the time.

“Those were very difficult days,” says her uncle Dmitri, who stayed with Liza in hospital for several months and adopted her.

“She and I were left alone in our grief.”

Dmitri was born in Belgorod, and that’s where his whole family lives, including his mother and grandmother. That’s why he’s stayed. But it means life is essentially on hold – spent largely indoors and under cover.

“I wish there was peace, for children to live full lives,” he tells me.

“Our children know what Vampire strikes are, what drones are, what an FPV [first-person-view] is. A child this age doesn’t need to know this.

“There should be a childhood, and not this situation.”

At an official level, Belgorod has embraced its role as a frontline city.

A local museum has put on a special exhibition called “Angels of Victory”, which honours Belgorod’s air defences.

Visitors are shown the remnants of Ukrainian missiles and drones that have been shot down.

There’s no mention of why Belgorod has come under attack. No word on who started the war. The only message is that Russia is the victim.

It is the same with the bomb shelters. They’ve inspired a new line of souvenir keyrings. A sign of danger turned into a symbol of defiance.

‘Together until victory’

There are many here who believe the narrative. At the local Communist Party offices, a group of elderly women are weaving camouflage nets that will be sent to Russian soldiers at the front.

“[The troops] are our protection, we are their protection. Together we are strong, together until victory,” Olga tells me, under the watchful gaze of Joseph Stalin, whose giant portrait hangs on the wall.

The women say they have been making the nets every single day since the war started, and promise to continue until it ends.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Raisa says, as an image of another icon of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin, looms large behind her.

“We’re just glad that we’re so strong and not tired of anything. We just want peace and a real life.”

While some have faith in Russia’s path, it is clear there is also frustration here.

And it seems to be growing, the harder life gets.

Galina, 73, has been living by candlelight for the past five days, following a Ukrainian strike on the local power grid.

But who does she criticise? The local authorities, for not fixing the problem when they said they would.

“We understand the military situation, we understand, but you can’t understand lies,” she says.

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Thousands in Ukraine have been living without heating and electricity for several weeks during the winter because of Russia’s targeting of energy infrastructure.

But now people here are experiencing that too, as temperatures outside hit -20C.

Tatyana has her hat and coat on as she shows us through the gloom into her apartment. She fears the blackouts will continue.

“It’s been going on for a very long time, and it’s like we’re just licking our wounds, unable to recover quickly,” she says.

And that’s just it – no one knows when this will end.

For all the diplomacy, there are still no breakthroughs. Peace talks keep hitting a brick wall.

And even if Moscow does get the favourable end of any peace deal, many here may wonder whether it’s all been worth it.

The cost of war for Russia has been laid bare – the losses, the sanctions, the isolation. But the benefits? After four years, they are still unclear.