Is Russia losing the war? The Kremlin bites back with airstrikes accusing Ukraine and the US of an attempt on President Putin's life, but some think this is more a show of weakness than strength.
Ukraine tried to kill Putin, claims Moscow
Droning on: Putin also blamed Ukraine for attacks in Krasnodar, Bryansk and occupied Crimea. Glossary
Vladimir Lenin - A Russian communist revolutionary and first head of the Soviet Union who rose to prominence during Russia's 1917 revolution.
Bolshevik - A member of the communist group led by Lenin that took power in Russia in 1917.
Imperial - Relating to an empire.
Soviet Union - Officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). A powerful group of communist republics, the biggest being Russia, that existed from 1922 to 1991.
Tsar - Title given to an emperor of Russia before the revolution of 1917. The word was originally used for the Bulgarian monarchs in the 10th Century, but can also be used to refer to anyone with absolute power.
Kremlin - A central fortress in a city, used to refer to a complex in Moscow with five palaces and four cathedrals. The Russian government is run from within this citadel.
Propaganda - Information, which may be biased or misleading, used to promote a certain viewpoint.
Fervour - Intense feeling or passion.
Sanctions - Economic measures designed to punish a country, for instance by excluding it from trade.
Bakhmut - A city in eastern Ukraine.
Autocrat - A leader who rules by force and with absolute power, without the permission of others.
FSB - The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) is a federal executive body responsible for counterintelligence, antiterrorism, and surveillance of the military.
Caucasus - A mountainous region between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, including Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and part of Russia.
Chechnya - A republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus. It is home to indigenous Chechens, mostly of Muslim faith.
Mercenaries - Professional soldiers who are hired to fight in an army.