Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

[nL8N2ZM5Q1} DIPLOMACY * China's ambassador to Russia called the United States the "main instigator" of the crisis in Ukraine, accusing Washington of backing Moscow into a corner with repeated expansions of the NATO defence alliance and support for forces seeking to align Ukraine with the European Union. * The head of the Russian-backed separatist administration in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region said a trial of captured personnel from Ukraine's Azov Regiment would take place by the end of the summer, likely in the city of Mariupol.

Russia is attacking scores of civilian and military targets in its bid to establish full control over the east Ukraine regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, with 120 rockets hitting the area around the town of Nikopol overnight, Ukrainian officials said. FIGHTING

* Two U.S. newspapers cited unnamed Ukrainian officials as saying Ukrainian special forces had carried out an attack on Tuesday on an air base on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, destroying military aircraft. * Moscow had said the explosions were detonations of stored ammunition. Kyiv has not taken responsibility for the attacks.

* Heavy fighting raged around the eastern Ukrainian town of Pisky near Donetsk on Thursday, while further west, Ukraine accused Russian forces of using the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to shield artillery. * There was no immediate comment from Russia, which has accused Ukraine of shelling the plant, something Kyiv denies.

Reuters was unable to verify battlefield reports. * The head of the Russian-backed separatist administration in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region said the trial of captured personnel from Ukraine's Azov Regiment would take place by the end of the summer, likely in the city of Mariupol. [nL8N2ZM5Q1}

DIPLOMACY * China's ambassador to Russia called the United States the "main instigator" of the crisis in Ukraine, accusing Washington of backing Moscow into a corner with repeated expansions of the NATO defence alliance and support for forces seeking to align Ukraine with the European Union.

* The head of the Russian-backed separatist administration in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region said a trial of captured personnel from Ukraine's Azov Regiment would take place by the end of the summer, likely in the city of Mariupol. ECONOMY

* Ukraine's overseas creditors backed its request for a two-year freeze on payments on almost $20 billion in international bonds, helping it avoid a debt default. * A grain-carrying ship that was scheduled to depart from Ukraine's Chornomorsk port under a U.N.-brokered deal on Thursday was unable to set sail due to bad weather, Turkey's defence ministry said.

* Russian law firm Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin & Partners (RGD) plans to appeal to Euroclear clearing house to help unfreeze funds of investors in foreign securities that were tied up by Western sanctions against Russia, a RGD partner said. * Gas flows eastbound through the Yamal-Europe pipeline to Poland from Germany were steady on Thursday, data showed, as were flows via Nord Stream 1 from Russia, which has cut the pipeline to 20% of its capacity, citing maintenance work.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)