TOP HEADLINES

• At least three people have been killed and 15 injured after a missile attack on the city of Dnipro as Russia steps up its long-range bombardment of Ukrainian cities. UUkraine officials estimate Russian missile strikes have killed at least 34 people in the last three days and wounded hundreds more. READ MORE BELOW

• Ukraine's defense ministry says its rocket strikes have destroyed more than 30 Russian military logistics centers in recent weeks, significantly reducing Russia's attacking potential.

• Western-supplied long-range weapons have started to arrive in Kyiv, with Ukraine receiving its first M270 multiple rocket launch systems, while using its new long-range weapons and 155mm "smart" shells to increase pressure on Russian supply lines. 

• In response to Ukraine's growing parity in longer-range arms, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered military units throughout Ukraine to step up their operations in order to prevent strikes on eastern territories controlled by Russia.

• Western finance chiefs have condemned Moscow's actions in Ukraine at G20 talks in Indonesia, accusing Russia of sending a "shockwave" through the world economy and its diplomats of complicity in the conflict's alleged atrocities. Despite hoping to reach an agreement on issues like food security and global economic recovery, the G20 ministers – including Russia and Ukraine's representatives – remained divided over the conflict, failing to issue a final group communique.

• Russia's defense ministry says that a "final document" designed to unblock grain exports from Ukrainian ports will be ready "soon" following talks with Kyiv in Istanbul. The disruption to the export of grain from ports in Ukraine, one of the world's largest wheat exporters, has worsened a global food crisis. 

• The EU's executive has proposed new sanctions on Russia, including an import ban on Russian gold. Governments from the bloc must still sign off on the measures, but are expected to do so as early as next week.

• Ukraine's military losses peaked in May, according to Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. Speaking to the BBC, Reznikov said Kyiv lost up to 100 soldiers a day that month.

• The UK says Russia bears "full responsibility" for the reported death of Paul Urey, a British man captured by pro-Russian forces in Ukraine who died in detention this week. Moscow-backed separatists said Urey – described by NGOs as being an aid volunteer, but by his captors as a "professional" soldier – had died of diabetes. 

• Russian energy giant Gazprom has asked German group Siemens to return a turbine it has repaired in Canada to ensure the Nord Stream pipeline delivering gas to Europe works. The announcement comes amid 10 days of maintenance, with the EU – particularly gas-reliant Germany – waiting nervously to see if the taps will be turned back on. READ MORE BELOW

IN DETAIL

Russia steps up long-range urban bombardments

Russian forces shelled the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol on Saturday, the latest in a series of bombardments of urban areas that local governors say has killed at least 37 people in the last three days and wounded scores more.

Late on Friday, Russian missiles hit the city of Dnipro, about 120 kilometers north of Nikopol, killing three and wounding 15, according to the region's governor after rockets hit an industrial plant and a street next to it.

The northeast Ukrainian town of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv region was also hit overnight, killing three including a woman of 70,  and wounding three more.

The attacks were the latest in a barrage of Russian strikes in recent weeks that have used long-range missiles on crowded buildings in cities. 

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On Thursday, Kalibr cruise missiles launched from a Russian submarine in the Black Sea hit an office building in Vinnytsia, a city of 370,000 people, killing at least 23 people and wounding dozens. 

Top Ukrainian official Oleksiy Danilov accused Russia of deliberately upping its attacks on civilian targets, telling The Guardian that monitoring of Russian strikes suggested an increased emphasis in recent weeks on terrorising Ukraine's civilian population. 

"That's not my emotions but what our monitoring is telling us," he said.

Moscow continues to deny targeting civilians.

The turbine at the center of Europe's gas crisis

Russia's Gazprom says it has asked German group Siemens to send back a turbine it has repaired in Canada to make sure the Nord Stream pipeline which delivers gas to Europe can run as usual.

Currently the pipeline, which supplies Europe – especially Germany – with a large proportion of its gas, is closed for 10 days of annual maintenance.

But with Moscow having already wound down supplies to the EU by 60 percent in recent weeks, blaming the absence of the turbine, European leaders are scrambling to find creative ways to block inevitable winter shortages if the tap isn't turned back on. 

Despite relations between Russia and the West being at an all-time low amid tit-for-tat sanctions, Canada has agreed to grant "a time-limited and revocable permit" for Siemens Canada to allow the machine's return.

However, Gazprom claims it has received no guarantees of it being sent back.

"Gazprom is counting on the Siemens group to unconditionally fulfil its obligations relating to the repair and maintenance of gas turbine engines on which the reliability of Nord Stream gas pipeline operations and natural gas deliveries to European consumers rely," the energy giant said. 

However, the Kremlin has been criticized by Western governments for using the technical issue to "blackmail" Europe over gas supplies.