The Week in Photos: Ukraine battles for Bakhmut, and California prepares to fight an impending drought

Hello, and welcome to this week’s selection of top stories in pictures by Los Angeles Times photographers and correspondents.

The Ukraine war’s most vicious fight is happening in Bakhmut. Take a rare look inside as Russia besieges the Ukrainian city that has symbolic, if not strategic, value for both sides. “The long fight for Bakhmut has been block-by-block, house-by-house savagery grinding up men, materiel and masonry,� reports correspondent Nabih Bulos. But supporting it is a parallel combat; one backed by consumer tech — and plenty of drones.

An intelligence commander in Bakhmut, Ukraine, watches a drone feed to identify targets and coordinate fire.

(Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times)

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The federal government is weighing options as it considers major water cuts to protect the Colorado River and with it, life and prosperity for the seven states that heavily depend on the shrinking water lifeline.

The drought-ravaged Colorado River got a brief relief from snow, but a long-term water crisis remains and we need to adapt to it. Kicking the can down the dam is no longer an option.

Of the states that rely on the Colorado River, California receives the largest share of water.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Lake Mead as seen from one of four reinforced-concrete structures above Hoover Dam, two on each side of the canyon.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A view of Imperial Valley farmland. Agricultural suppliers such as California’s Imperial Irrigation District, which uses the single largest share of Colorado River water to supply about 500,000 acres of farmland in the Imperial Valley.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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An onslaught of atmospheric rivers hit California this winter, exposing the delicate balance of the systems that provide critical water yet can prompt dangerous floods. Why was California hit with 31 atmospheric river storms?

Mammoth Lakes was particularly besieged by storms, thrown into chaos as snowfall crushed buildings, caused explosions and became a nightmare for residents.

A resident clears the roof of his entombed home after winter storms dumped record amounts of snow in Mammoth Lakes.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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As the record Sierra “big melt� begins, whitewater rafters are among those enjoying the immense volumes of water sent through some of the most storied rafting rivers in the world — California’s epic snowpack promises a whitewater rafting season for the ages.

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Uganda may impose some of the world’s strictest anti-gay measures with punishments that include the death penalty, and even tourists could face prison under Uganda’s proposed anti-gay laws.

A gay man who gave his name as Clifford in Kampala, Uganda, earlier this month.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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In Boyle Heights a jogging path that has been used by walkers and joggers since the 1940s has become blocked by RV dwellers. Some residents complain, but people who call the RVs home say that they are scapegoated. “All I’m asking is for some patience, and we’ll get back on our feet,� said one RV dweller. “Nobody wants to be here, but it’s not right to be thrown out.�

A runner passes an RV parked along the Evergreen Jogging Path in Boyle Heights. An LAPD official said law enforcement has little recourse on the RVs unless they were uninhabited or spilling sewage.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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Dianne Feinstein, faces calls to resign yet vows to return to Senate once healed from shingles. Her extended absence has complicated the confirmation of President Biden’s judicial and administrative nominees, creating headaches for the president and the Democrats. Feinstein’s absence puts focus on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s promise to appoint a Black woman as senator.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters before entering the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol in February. Her absence from Washington due to illness has created problems for Democrats in the Senate, where the party has a slim hold on power.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

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Drugs and death visited an eye surgeon in Malibu after a Fresno hairstylist and a Hollywood actor took over his home, dropped acid with him and drained his fortune.

Mark Sawusch’s Malibu oceanfront home along Pacific Coast Highway, left, where paramedics and sheriff’s deputies found the body of the 57-year-old eye surgeon in 2018.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Council appointed Heather Hutt, skipping a special election, as replacement for the 10th District’s former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, despite objections from critics who labeled the move undemocratic.

Supporters cheer at City Hall on Tuesday as the L.A. City Council votes for Heather Hutt to fill its 10th District seat, replacing former Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was found guilty of federal corruption charges.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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And finally, to end on a life-affirming note — California’s breathtaking superbloom is here. See the amazing photos from space and find out where to soak up the beauty of spring wildflowers in person.

After multiple storms drenched Southern California, a lush scenic meadow erupts in full bloom at Chino Hills State Park.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Isabella Recio, 4, walks on a trail among California poppies outside the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve near Lancaster. The California Department of Parks and Recreation wants visitors to stay on designated trails.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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