Live blog: Germany's Scholz urges Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine

1144 GMT — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to take the first step towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin must not succeed in his goal of using force to annex parts of a neighbouring country, Scholz said.

The chancellor once again assured Ukraine of Germany's help in its defence against Russia for as long as necessary.

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1349 GMT — Two killed in Russian strikes near frontline: Ukraine

The attacks came as Kiev's air force said Russia fired 38 drones at its territory overnight - the highest reported number in more than six weeks.

Ukrainian police said Russia fired a series of rocket strikes at the village of Komyshuvakha, close to the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, which Russia claimed to have annexed last year.

"As a result of the first two strikes, four local residents were injured and a fire broke out in a residential building," they said in a statement.

"When the police and rescuers arrived at the scene, Russians conducted another strike. Two emergency service workers were killed, and three more were injured."

1346 GMT — Ukraine's troops work to advance on Russian-held side of key river after gaining footholds

Ukraine’s establishment of footholds on on the Russian-held bank of the Dnieper represents a small but potentially significant strategic advance in the midst of a war largely at a standstill. The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said its troops there had repelled 12 attacks by the Russian army between Friday and Saturday.

1326 GMT — Finland approves new arms package worth over $109M for Ukraine

Finland has approved a new arms package worth approximately $109.2M for Ukraine.

This is Finland's 20th aid package to Ukraine since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in Feb. 2022, the statement said.

0641 GMT — Russia keeps ban on diesel exports by rail in place - Kommersant

Russia has for now kept in place a ban on diesel exports by rail, the Kommersant daily reported on Saturday after the energy ministry lifted restrictions on gasoline exports a day earlier.

Russia, the world's top seaborne exporter of diesel, introduced a ban on fuel exports on Sept. 21 in order to tackle high domestic prices and shortages. Only four ex-Soviet states were exempt.

The energy ministry said on Friday Russia had lifted restrictions on gasoline exports, saying there was now a surplus of supply while wholesale prices had declined.

On Oct. 6, it had eased some restrictions and allowed the export of diesel by pipeline but not by road or rail.

The energy ministry made no mention of railway diesel exports on Friday, but Kommersant reported that such exports, which account for a small proportion of overall exports, would still be banned.

0503 GMT — Russia hits infrastructure facilities in Ukraine

Russia launched a major drone attack on Ukraine overnight, hitting infrastructure facilities in the south and north of the country, the Ukrainian military has said.

Ukraine air defense shot down 29 out of 38 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched from Russian territory, the air force said. The South military command said an energy infrastructure facility was hit in the southern Odesa region.

An administrative building was also damaged and one civilian was wounded in the strike, it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

In Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region on the border with Russia and Belarus, two infrastructure buildings were damaged during the overnight strike, the military said.