Putin: No immediate plans to capture Kharkiv as of 13:21.

13:21 Putin: At present, no plans to seize Kharkiv

Putin asserts that Kharkiv, which has witnessed prolonged attacks by Russian forces, won't be overtaken. As it stands, there's no intention to capture Kharkiv, as indicated by Putin to representatives of Russian state media in China. The question arose after Zelensky addressed the significantly stricken Kharkiv district the previous day. Zelensky communicated a sense of stabilization. According to Putin, Russia is constructing a defensive buffer zone due to the extensive shelling of the Russian region of Belgorod from Kharkiv. Although many experts perceive the Kremlin's ultimate goal to be the annexation of Kharkiv.

12:58 Political Analyst: China speaks "candidly" with Putin behind the scenesOfficially, China avoids overtly criticizing Russian President Putin. Initially, China claims to maintain friendly relations with the Russian leader. However, things could be quite different behind closed doors, according to political scientist Thomas Jäger. Russia's reliance on its giant neighbor is far too significant:

12:28 Putin intends to furnish China with additional energy suppliesDuring his visit to China, Putin offers to augment Russia's energy deliveries to its neighboring country. "Russia is equipped and prepared to continually and reliably provide the Chinese economy, firms, metropolises, and villages with environmentally friendly and low-cost energy, electricity, and heat," declared the Kremlin leader at the inception of a Russian-Chinese commercial fair in the metropolis of Harbin. He was staunchly confident that the "strategic partnership in the energy sector" would be reinforced.

12:14 Satellite images show the destruction of a Russian military base, BelbekUkrainian forces have bombarded the Russian-occupied Crimea for two consecutive days, particularly targeting the Belbek airbase. Russia purportedly thwarted a total of five ATACMS. Photos from space reveal remnants of fire and struggling aircraft:

11:57 Munz detects cracks in the collaboration between Russia and ChinaAlthough a 30-page agreement exists between Russia and China, there are signs of fissures. For instance, China may participate in the Swiss peace deliberations, or refrain from becoming reliant on Russian raw materials:

11:34 Ukraine: Russia's military operation in the Kharkiv region has advanced by 70 kilometersAs signified by Ukrainian armed forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, Russian troops have expanded their active combat area by almost 70 kilometers with their offensive on the Kharkiv region. In fact, Russia initiated the offensive to prompt Ukraine to summon extra reserve brigades. He supposes the engagement might heighten as troops in Kiev mobilize for protection in the Sumy region.

11:15 Video depicts the ramifications of massive attacks on RussiaUkraine reportedly targeted different sites on Russian soil, including a drone strike on an oil refinery in Tuapse located at Krasnodar's coastline. Russia claims to have foiled over 100 Ukrainian drones during the night:

10:31 Baerbock calls for arms that can attain lengthier rangesIn light of the perilous state around the city of Kharkiv, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock requests more weapons with a lengthier range. The condition around Ukraine's second-largest city is profoundly distressing, stated Baerbock during a gathering of the Council of Europe's foreign ministers. Russia assaults Kharkiv from within Russia's boundaries, so Ukrainian air defense efforts are ineffective. Ukraine also requires "weaponry capable of medium and long-range attacks," the Minister emphasized. Kharkiv is ~40 km from Russia's borders.

10:02 Putin and Xi bid each other farewell with a warmer embraceRussian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President and Party Leader Xi Jinping concluded their discourse in China with a benevolent interaction. In Beijing on Thursday night, Putin and Xi first shook hands, afterwards briefly embraced, as captured in a video from state broadcaster CCTV. Today, Putin persists with his two-day state visit in the northern Chinese metropolis of Harbin.

9:26 Ukraine confirms four blasts in KharkivUkraine avows that it successfully downed all 20 drones aimed at the country by Russia during the night. The military noted engagements in Kharkiv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odessa, and Mykolaiv. In Kharkiv, four explosions transpired amid the engagement, describes the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov. A conflagration materialized during one of the concussions. Real estate damage included an administrative edifice:

9:02 ntv reporter: "Russians are approaching closer to the urban perimeter of Kharkiv"The state of affairs in Kharkiv is exceedingly perturbed. Ukraine currently succeeds in maintaining the military condition on the city limits, but the "Russians have also stabilized their position" and are about 30 km away from Kharkiv, observes ntv reporter Jürgen Weichert:

9:02 Russia acknowledges casualties in Belgorod areaAs per the authorities, two mortals were terminated in the nighttime Ukrainian drone strikes. A mother and her four-year-old child perished in the village of Oktyabrsky in the border region of Belgorod, elaborated Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov:

09:06 Attacks reported in Sevastopol, Crimea
As per the statement from Russia's Ministry of Defense, Sevastopol, a city in Crimea, suffered an attack overnight. The local governor reported damage to a substation, resulting in occasional power outages. Schools and kindergartens were closed as a precaution. The Black Sea Fleet of Russia has its base in Sevastopol. Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014, disregarding international law.

08:12 Attacks on Novorossiysk's port
Reports of a drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet port of Novorossiysk are circulating. Videos show the alleged incident, while Russian state news agency RIA mentions missile strikes in the region without mentioning the specific port.

07:20 Over 100 Ukrainian drones intercepted
The Russian Ministry of Defense said it intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones overnight. 51 drones were intercepted over the Crimean peninsula, 44 in the Krasnodar region, six in the Belgorod region, and one in the Kursk region. The navy also destroyed six naval drones in the Black Sea. As a response to daily shelling, Ukraine is increasing its attacks on Russian territories, specifically targeting energy facilities.

06:41 Destruction of Russian fighter jets in Crimea
Satellite images from Maxar show that three fighter jets - two MiG-31s and an Su-27 - were completely destroyed, and a MiG-29 was damaged in Ukrainian attacks on the Belbek airfield in Crimea. A fuel depot was also destroyed, according to the New York Times. Ukraine attacked the airfield for the second straight night on Thursday.

06:03 Possible additional drone attack on Russian refinery
Videos show what appears to be a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian oil refinery in Tuapse, located on the Black Sea. The local authorities confirmed the fire and it has been contained.

05:57 Putin promotes trade with China's northeast
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, plans to highlight the importance of trade near the Russian border in Northeastern China after sealing a strategic partnership with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Putin's visit to China ends today in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, which has a long history of trade and cultural ties with Russia.

05:30 Russia expels British military attaché
The Russian Foreign Ministry declared Adrian Coghill, the British military attaché, persona non grata and instructed him to leave the country within seven days. This decision is in response to the UK expelling the Russian military attaché on May 8, who was suspected of being an undeclared intelligence agent.

04:52 Possible military trainers sent to Ukraine by NATO countries
NATO member countries are considering sending military trainers or contractors to Ukraine to help train troops and repair equipment. Ukraine requested assistance in training 150,000 troops stationed near the front lines. However, the U.S. is reluctant given the risk of attacks on trainers that could potentially activate NATO's collective defense clause. To circumvent this, officials suggested training large numbers of Ukrainian recruits in Germany and Poland in the past, but this comes with logistical challenges. Some NATO countries like the UK, Germany, and France are considering sending defense contractors to Ukraine, while the White House is reconsidering its ban on U.S. defense contractors in Ukraine.

04:10 Japan insists respect for international law in freezing of Russian assets
Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki commented on the U.S. proposal to use the interest from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Suzuki advocated for discussions to follow international law. Japan plans to take part in the G7 meeting with this perspective in mind.

01:03 Kim Jong Un's sister denies arms deal with Russia
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un, denied any arms trade between North Korea and Russia. Through the state news agency KCNA, Kim explained that the weapons North Korea developed were for self-defense against South Korea. The alleged arms deal with Russia was described as a "prejudiced fabrication." Ukraine and South Korea have accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia to use against Ukraine. Both Moscow and Pyongyang refute these accusations.

02:04: Kharkiv's Air Raid Alert Lifted After Drone Assaults

An air raid warning in Kharkiv that lasted over 16 hours has been lifted in the majority of the region's parts. Regional leader Oleh Synyehubov revealed that at least five drones have previously targeted the Ukrainian metropolis. Ihor Terekhov, the city's mayor, stated that a district was attacked and a blaze ensued. Suspilne, the public broadcaster, mentioned that Kharkiv had an air raid alert in place for more than 16.5 hours, the longest since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

00:51: Beijing's Assistance to Moscow Hinders Western Reconciliation

Amid the amiable get-together between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, the US administration perceives China's support for Russia as a hindrance to reconciliation with the West. Vedant Patel, spokesperson for the State Department, pointed out in Washington that China cannot "dance at two weddings at the same time." Befriending Europe and other states is not possible for Beijing if it simultaneously "earns the greatest threat to European security in years," Patel insisted, remarking on the Russian offensive against Ukraine.

23:34: Zelensky Warns of Threats to European Gas Infrastructure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautions potential hazards for Europe due to Russian missile strikes on gas distribution facilities. He shared this in a video message following a discussion with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Assaults on Western Ukraine's gas infrastructure pose perils for everyone in Europe, according to Zelensky, stressing that "we must take joint action against this."

22:06: Long-Term Power Cuts in Ukraine following Assaults

Expected to last months, power outages in Ukraine result from grave damage to power plants and substations in the country. Yuri Boyko, counselor to the Prime Minister and a member of the Ukrenerho utility supervisory board, said that the power cuts may not improve until August or September. On Wednesday, periodically managed shutdowns are scheduled in various regions to conserve electricity. Streets in the capital Kiev are subjected to these outages as well. Russia's missile strikes have tremendously impaired the power grid, Boyko added.

For more recent updates, check here.