The war in Ukraine, which broke out in February 2022 with Russia's invasion of its neighbor, shows no sign of ending as both sides intensify attacks to gain control of contested regions.
Read our latest updates here. For all our coverage, visit our Ukraine war page .
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Special report: Russia buying civilian drones from China for war effort
Note: Nikkei Asia decided in March 2022 to suspend its reporting from Russia until further information becomes available regarding the scope of the revised criminal code. Entries include material from wire services and other sources.
Here are the latest developments:
Tuesday, Oct. 17 (Tokyo time)
11:00 p.m. Top U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials for North Korean affairs share their assessments on the state of arms cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, South Korean counterpart Kim Gunn and Japan's Hiroyuki Namazu "discussed arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia which violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, threaten stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and around the world, and undermine the global non-proliferation regime," the U.S. State Department says.
The meeting follows a U.S. assessment that North Korea, which calls itself the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
7:20 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin is in China for one of his first trips abroad since an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes was issued against him earlier this year.
Putin is greeted by Chinese officials and an honor guard as he disembarks his jet, which was painted in a white, blue and red Russian flag livery. He waves to cameras before climbing into a black limousine to take him into the city, where the Chinese government is hosting leaders at a Belt and Road Forum.
During his stay, Putin is due to meet with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the forum. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson says the two leaders would exchange views on "bilateral relations and issues of common interest." Read more .
2:45 a.m. In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Moscow's help in achieving a political solution to the Gaza crisis , the Kremlin says.
Putin "expressed sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased Israelis, emphasizing his strong rejection and condemnation of any actions that victimize the civilian population, including women and children," according to a Kremlin readout of the call.
Putin also informed Netanyahu of "key points" of his recent discussions with leaders of the Palestinians, Egypt, Iran and Syria, the Kremlin says.
1:22 a.m. Global wheat prices have sunk to their lowest level in about three years as Russia pushes exports of a bumper crop, easing food inflation while driving up concerns about an overreliance on Russian grain.
Russian wheat is taking the place of falling exports from Ukraine and an expected weak harvest in Australia. Read more .
Monday, Oct. 16
11:54 p.m. Russia's drones are mostly sourced from China, so Moscow will spend more than 60 billion rubles ($614 million) to develop drone manufacturing, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov tells lawmakers.
"The task is that 41% of all drones by 2025 should have the label 'Made in Russia,'" he says. "Today, drones are mainly from the People's Republic of China." Drones have played a major part in the Ukraine war, both for attacks but also for reconnaissance amid fierce artillery battles.
1:40 p.m. China's Belt and Road Initiative is key to promoting cooperation in the Eurasia region, Russian state news agencies cite Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying. "We consider this movement, this project, as an important part of promoting cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit throughout the Eurasian continent," Lavrov said after meeting his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing. Lavrov added that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is to visit Beijing this week , will discuss all aspects of bilateral cooperation with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calls the Belt and Road Initiative "an important part of promoting cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit throughout the Eurasian continent." © Reuters 7:00 a.m. A Russian governor was accused by critics on Sunday of "discrediting Russia's armed forces" after telling residents in her region that the country had "no need" for its war in Ukraine. Natalya Komarova, governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk region and a member of President Vladimir Putin's governing United Russia party, made the remarks during a meeting with residents in the Siberian city of Nizhnevartovsk on Saturday. Critics have called for authorities to launch an investigation into her remarks, but Komarova has not been detained or faced any charges so far.
Gov. Natalya Komarova of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area-Yugra at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg, Russia in June 2022. © Reuters Sunday, Oct. 15
3:30 p.m. Two civilians were killed in Russian attacks on the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka on Saturday, the Donetsk region administration says. In one of its few offensives in months, Russia's military pressed on for a fifth day with assaults on Avdiivka, with shelling so fierce that emergency crews were unable to recover the dead from wrecked buildings. The administration of the Donetsk region said on Sunday on the Telegram messaging app that one more person was injured elsewhere in the region.
Saturday, Oct. 14
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Beijing on Oct. 13. © Reuters 2:30 p.m. Visiting European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Saturday he has urged China not to support Russia in its war against Ukraine by providing weapons or helping Moscow circumvent Western sanctions. Borrell, who is on a three-day China visit, also told a press conference he has asked Beijing to use its influence to make Russia go back to a grain deal initiative to allow the resumption of Ukraine grain exports via the Black Sea. "Otherwise, we will face another food crisis," he said, noting the war has sent "shock waves around the world." Moscow has pulled out of the grain deal mediated by Turkey and the United Nations.
11:30 a.m. Russian forces pounded the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka for the fourth day in a row on Friday. In Avdiivka, known for its large coking plant in Ukraine's Donbas industrial heartland, officials said the Russian assaults had left the already-gutted city in flames. "The fighting has been going on for four consecutive days," Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city's military administration, told Ukrainian national television. "They have substantial reserves of personnel and equipment. Avdiivka is completely ablaze. They shoot, using everything they have. The hospital is again under fire, as are administrative buildings and our volunteer center."
12:30 a.m. The Netherlands will deliver more Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mark Rutte says, according to Reuters.
"This winter, Russia will try to hurt Ukraine as much as possible. So the Netherlands will supply extra Patriot missiles so that Ukraine can defend itself against Russia's barbaric airstrikes," Rutte says, following a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Odesa, Ukraine.
Rutte says the Netherlands would also help Ukraine acquire patrol boats to help keep the shipping route for grain exports safe.
For earlier updates, click here .