This blog file is now closed. For the latest developments, please click here.
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.
Finland hopes China will help end Russia's invasion of Ukraine
U.S. should support both Israel and Ukraine: Army secretary
China's Belt and Road Forum to illuminate scope of Russia ties
Russia-North Korea nuclear cooperation danger to all: Estonian president
From drones to cyberattacks, technology is shaping Ukraine conflict
Russia's war bloggers hold potential spark of further unrest
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:
Sunday, Oct. 22 (Tokyo time)
6:00 a.m. Two missiles strike a postal distribution center, killing six people in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional prosecutors, quoted by Ukraine's public broadcaster.
Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Synehubov, meanwhile, says 14 people are injured in the attack, including several in serious condition. "This is strictly a civilian site," Synheubov says. "The Russians have inflicted more terror on Kharkiv's peaceful population."
Saturday, Oct. 21
11:00 p.m. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a call where the two men discuss Ukraine's peace formula, food security and situation in the Middle East.
"We discussed the next round of negotiations on the Peace Formula, which will take place in Malta. Turkey will participate, adding its authoritative voice and position," Zelenskyy says on Telegram. "We also discussed the situation in the Middle East and agreed on the need to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for humanitarian law."
Friday, Oct. 20
4:30 p.m. President Vladimir Putin visited the headquarters of Russian forces in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don late on Thursday to hear a report on the progress of operations in Ukraine, state television reports. It shows General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff and commander of the war in Ukraine, telling Putin that the troops are "carrying out their tasks in line with the operation plan." Putin said this week that the counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces had "completely failed" and Ukraine's Western backers were less hawkish than before.
2:50 a.m. Russian and Chinese special envoys for the Middle East have met in Doha, where they exchanged views on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Mikhail Bogdanov and Zhai Jun confirmed "the constant focus of Moscow and Beijing on close coordination of efforts in the interest of a political settlement of this and other crises in the Middle East and North Africa region," Russia's Foreign Ministry says.
Both Russia and China favor an early end to hostilities, the prevention of escalation and urgent action on the humanitarian crisis, including assistance to the affected population and the release of hostages, the ministry says.
1:10 a.m. NATO is stepping up patrols in the Baltic Sea following recent damage to undersea infrastructure in the region, reports Reuters.
"The increased measures include additional surveillance and reconnaissance flights, including with maritime patrol aircraft, NATO AWACS planes, and drones. A fleet of four NATO minehunters is also being dispatched to the area," the transatlantic military alliance said in a statement.
Thursday, Oct. 19
8:00 p.m. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, Russia's Foreign Ministry says. Lavrov's two-day trip to North Korea comes about a month after President Vladimir Putin received Kim on a rare visit to Russia and marks the latest sign of closer ties between the two countries.
The ministry does not say what Lavrov and Kim discussed. Some see Lavrov's trip as paving the way for Putin to visit North Korea.
Relations between Russia and North Korea have reached "a new, strategic level," Tass quotes Lavrov as saying before his talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.
The ministry says the two sides emphasized their determination to resist the hegemonic aspirations of the U.S., which they say are aggravating the situation in the Asia-Pacific region.
1:15 a.m. Russia shot down a missile over Sevastopol, home of its Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean Peninsula, regional Gov. Mikhail Razvozhayev says on Telegram. The missile exploded in a field, and that there are no injuries or damage to infrastructure. The Defence Ministry follows up, saying two missiles had been shot down over Crimea, both converted S-200 anti-aircraft defense missiles.
12:45 a.m. Russia's parliament passes the second and third readings of a bill that revokes Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Both are passed unanimously by 415 votes to zero. Russian President Vladimir Putin had called on parliament on Oct. 5 to make the change to "mirror" the U.S., which has signed but never ratified the 1996 treaty.
Russia says it will not resume nuclear testing unless Washington does, but arms control experts are concerned it may be inching towards a test that the West would perceive as a threatening escalation in the context of the war.
Wednesday, Oct. 18
2:00 a.m. U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin shares rose 2% after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter revenue and profit on Tuesday, as geopolitical tensions fueled sustained demand for its military equipment. During pre-market trading, Lockheed shares were down as much as 2.1% due to weak sales in the unit that makes the F-35 fighter jet, but reversed in early trading in New York to $450.52 per share, up 2%. Lockheed posted a net income of $6.73 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 24, beating estimates of $6.67 per share.
Tuesday, Oct. 17
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.
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.
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.
For earlier updates, click here.
