Russia's war on Ukraine latest: US to start training Ukrainian troops to use Abrams tank

closure." * Ukraine's prospects of unblocking grain shipments to eastern Europe improved as Romania opted against a unilateral ban on food imports, but there was no progress on extending a deal on Black Sea exports.

The United States said it will soon start training Ukrainian troops to use its Abrams tank and Germany announced a deal to establish a hub in Poland to repair tanks deployed in Ukraine. DIPLOMACY

* NATO chief Stoltenberg has invited Ukrainian President Zelenskiy to the Western military alliance's summit in July while emphasising the need to support Ukraine's battlefield logistics. * A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said NATO wanted to defeat Russia and was keeping Ukraine motivated by promising membership after the war ended. She described such statements as dangerous for Europe's security.

* Russia's Foreign Ministry warned of an "uncontrollable" arms race and said Moscow needed to build up its tactical missile capabilities including in its Kaliningrad territory that borders Poland and Lithuania, the RIA news agency said. * The Kremlin said it was monitoring reports of a possible ban on exports to Russia by Western countries, and that new sanctions would hit the global economy.

LEGAL * A Moscow court ordered the arrest in absentia of Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev, whose reporting for the Bellingcat news outlet has angered Russia, RIA news agency said.

* A Ukrainian former deputy defence minister and another ministry official have been served with "notices of suspicion" accusing them of wrongdoing over contracts for food purchases for the army, the state anti-corruption agency said. * Britain imposed sanctions on a Russian judge and four others linked to the arrest of British-Russian Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza who was jailed for 25 years this week.

GRAIN MOVES * A deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain could start winding down next week after Russia said it will not approve any new vessels unless their operators guarantee the transits will be done by May 18 - "the expected date of ... closure."

* Ukraine's prospects of unblocking grain shipments to eastern Europe improved as Romania opted against a unilateral ban on food imports, but there was no progress on extending a deal on Black Sea exports. BATTLE FOR BAKHMUT

* Ukraine said Russian forces had made some advances in fierce fighting for the eastern city of Bakhmut but that the situation was under control. Russia said earlier its troops were fighting in the last part of the city still held by Kyiv's forces. (Compiled by Reuters editors)

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