Russia-Ukraine war: Russia trying to storm Azovstal plant, says Kyiv; US plans $40bn aid package for Ukraine - live

Ukraine defence ministry says Russian troops backed by tanks and artillery attacking steelworks; Charles Michel forced to take shelter during missile strike

• Putin marks Victory Day as Russia intensifies attacks on east
• Mariupol survivors rescued from civilian bunker describe horrors of siege
• Russian journalists fill pro-Kremlin site with anti-war articles
• Mine-sniffing dog gets medal after finding over 200 explosives
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 76 of the invasion

As Vladimir Putin wages a bloody and unrelenting war in Ukraine, Guardian foreign correspondent Luke Harding has examined Putin's unlikely path to the Russian presidency.

From his humble beginnings in St Petersburg to his mysterious and mediocre" career in the KGB, in this video report we chronicle how Putin deftly manoeuvred himself to become one of the most powerful autocrats in modern history:

Chinese exports to Russia fell in April for the second month as China's northern neighbour grappled with economic sanctions, while Russian shipments to China surged, a balm to hard-hit Russian firms facing international economic isolation.

Shipments to Russia fell 25.9% in April from a year earlier in dollar terms, worsening from a 7.7% decline the previous month, according to Reuters calculations based on customs data on Monday.