Post-Soviet conflicts

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov stated that next year Bulgaria will achieve its goal of 2 percent of GDP for defense. In a joint briefing with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Alliance headquarters, he stressed:

"There is no reason to accept that the official authorities in the Russian Federation are indiscriminately carrying out mass repressions against citizens expressing in one way or another dissatisfaction with the president's policy".

Russia's military said Tuesday it quashed what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks from Ukraine since the war began, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours.

Ukraine said on Friday it had retaken swathes of ground near the frontline city of Bakhmut, as Russia insisted it had repelled an attack along a broad stretch of the front line.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, who is spearheading Moscow's attack on Bakhmut, accused the Russian army of "fleeing" from around the eastern Ukraine city.

Day 401 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Fighting in Ukraine continues despite a cease-fire announced by Russia

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has hit the 10-month mark. With western backing, Ukraine has staunchly resisted the incursion of Russia, which is caught up in a costly conflict with no clear exit strategy. 

Kyiv and Moscow accuse each other of the attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi agreed that part of the payment for Russian gas should be in rubles.
Ukrainian officials announce that Russian forces from Kherson shelled Nikolaev.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Russian forces are massing in southern Ukraine, expecting a counteroffensive. The war is entering a new phase

Fighting in Ukraine continues. Ukrainian officials claim that Russian forces shelled Zaporozhye, and that strong explosions were heard in Mykolaiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on China to use its influence on Russia to end the conflict.