Russia's war on Ukraine latest: reporter arrested in case that could worsen US-Moscow ties

Russia charged an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal based in the country with spying, a case that could worsen Moscow's diplomatic relations with Washington over the war in Ukraine. DIPLOMACY, WEAPONRY

* U.S. Secretary of State Blinken will push back on Russia's attempts to "weaponize energy" and rally support for a Ukrainian counteroffensive when he meets NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, an official said. * The Turkish parliament ratified Finland's NATO accession but kept Sweden waiting. Finland and Sweden asked to join the military alliance in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The parliaments of all NATO members must ratify newcomers. * The U.S. said it imposed sanctions on a Slovakian man for trying to arrange the sale of over two dozen types of North Korean weapons and munitions to Russia to help Moscow replace military equipment lost in the war.

* The United States has new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea in exchange for food aid, the White House said. * Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was still talking to the International Atomic Energy Agency head about the idea of a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant, Russian news agencies reported.

BATTLEFIELD * At least six Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late on Thursday night, and officials are gathering details about damage and casualties, said regional governor Oleh Sinegubov.

* The advance of Russian soldiers on the outskirts of the eastern frontline town of Bakhmut "has been halted - or nearly halted", the director of the Ukrainian defence publication Defense Express said. * Reuters could not verify battlefield reports.

U.S. REPORTER'S ARREST * A Moscow court ruled that a U.S. journalist for the Wall Street Journal should be detained for nearly two months on suspicion of spying, the most serious move against a foreign journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine and one quickly condemned by Washington.

STORIES OF NOTE * In Ukraine's Bucha, a 'wounded soul' aches one year after liberation from violent Russian occupation

* SPECIAL REPORT-Facial recognition is helping Putin curb dissent with the aid of U.S. tech * INSIGHT-Ukraine's scramble for 'game-changer' drone fleet

* SPECIAL REPORT-Wagner's convicts tell of horrors of Ukraine war and loyalty to their leader. (Compiled by Reuters editors)

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