Russia's war on Ukraine latest news: Russia attacks in east, resets aims

* Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated his accusation that the West was "exploiting" Ukraine and using its people as "cannon fodder" in a conflict with Russia. BRITTNEY GRINER * A plane carrying Brittney Griner landed in the United after the U.S. basketball star was released in a prisoner swap with Russia, ending what he called months of "hell" for her and her wife. * The Kremlin said the exchange should not be seen as a step towards improving bilateral ties between Moscow and Washington, saying they remained "in a sorry state".

Russian forces have shelled the entire front line in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said, part of what appears to be the Kremlin's scaled-back ambition to secure only the bulk of territory it has claimed. CONFLICT

* The fiercest fighting was near the towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, and Russian troops were also trying to advance near Lyman, which was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November, the region's governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said. * The Ukrainian general staff said its forces had attacked Russian positions and troop assembly points in at least half a dozen towns in the south of Ukraine.

* Reuters was not able to verify battlefield reports. * Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated his accusation that the West was "exploiting" Ukraine and using its people as "cannon fodder" in a conflict with Russia.

BRITTNEY GRINER * A plane carrying Brittney Griner landed in the United after the U.S. basketball star was released in a prisoner swap with Russia, ending what he called months of "hell" for her and her wife.

* The Kremlin said the exchange should not be seen as a step towards improving bilateral ties between Moscow and Washington, saying they remained "in a sorry state". * The White House said the prisoner swap will not change the U.S. commitment to Ukraine.

CHARGES * Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced by a court to eight-and-a-half years in prison on charges of spreading "fake information". He was tried over a YouTube video in which he discussed evidence uncovered by Western journalists of Russian atrocities in Bucha, near Kyiv.

* Ukraine's SBU security service accused a senior Orthodox Christian cleric of engaging in anti-Ukrainian activity by supporting Russian policies in social media posts. ECONOMY

* Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said Russia had three possible options for how to response to the West's price cap on Russian oil, without going into details, the TASS news agency reported. * Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the United States was seeking to kill off Russia's multibillion dollar export revenues and push it into default, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

U.S. SUPPORT * The United States plans to impose new sanctions against Russia and China that include punishing Moscow for its use of Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine, two U.S. officials said.

* The United States is preparing to send Ukraine a $275 million military aid package offering new capabilities to defeat drones and strengthen air defences, according to a document seen by Reuters and people familiar with the package. 

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