Ukraine's government is cracking down on journalists exposing corruption while covering up massive soldier death tolls, in a story that's bad news for Ukraine's war effort and for anyone who believed Western coverage of it.

• New rules threaten journalists with up to 5 years in prison for investigating corruption around Zelensky's inner circle, where stolen cash, gold, and property have turned up repeatedly.
• Poland's prime minister reportedly said Ukraine is losing 27,000 soldiers a month, far above the official figures Zelensky has given.
• Several of Zelensky's closest aides and allies have been arrested or placed under house arrest for stealing tens of millions of dollars meant for energy repairs and other aid.
• Ukraine is now conscripting elderly men, some in their 70s, and holding people in makeshift detention sites until families pay bribes to get them released.
• Martial law has been extended again, opposition parties remain banned, and independent anti-corruption agencies have faced pressure to back off, while hundreds of thousands of men have deserted or gone missing.

Outlook: As money problems deepen and Western patience frays, pressure on Zelensky's government is likely to keep building, with corruption revelations and battlefield losses making continued war funding harder to justify.