Two people were killed and 33 injured in a Russian airstrike on a hardware superstore in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Saturday, reported Kyiv Independent. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the daylight attack on an "obviously civilian" target.
Xi rolled out the red carpet for Putin, who arrived in Beijing for a two-day state visit, signalling the deepening alignment between the two nations amidst Russia's ongoing advances in Ukraine, CNN reported.
The Russian Army has opened a new front in Ukraine's northern Kharkiv region, capturing villages near the border - an offensive Ukrainian officials had warned about days earlier.
Russia has intensified its disinformation efforts to discredit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and raised questions about his legitimacy in recent months, the US intelligence agencies stated, reported CNN.
Putin arrived in Beijing on Thursday, marking his first overseas trip since his re-election in March and his second visit to China in just over six months.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he was "shocked" to hear that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting incident on Wednesday.
On his surprise visit to Ukraine, US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Tuesday met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and assured him that American military aid is on its way, reported The New York Times.
The visit comes as the United States announced a USD 400 million military aid package for Ukraine as the country continues to be in desperate need of Western aid amid intensifying pressure from Russia, The Hill reported.
Amid recent gains made by the Russian forces on the battlefield, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that "fierce battles" are taking place and situation is "extremely difficult" in some regions, while affirming that the key thing is for the country to remain 'resilient'
Following Russia's move to capture nine villages in a fresh ground assault in a cross-border offensive, Ukraine warned the situation in the northern Kharkiv region has "significantly worsened", reported CNN.
His decision came after the State Security Service (SBU) said earlier this week that it had uncovered an assassination plot against Zelenskyy and other important officials.
The bill's passage through parliament is a pivotal step, awaiting final approval from the chairperson of parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before implementation.