Mourners in Moscow have marked two years since Russian opposition leder Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison, as a new European analysis fuels claims he was killed by poisoning.

Defense chiefs from two major European powers have issued a rare public plea for people across Europe to support big boosts in defense spending to deter a possible war with an increasingly westward-looking Russia.

The messaging platform WhatsApp says Russia has "attempted to fully block" its service inside the country, "to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app."

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was poisoned with a deadly toxin found in the skin of Ecuador dart frogs, the UK’s foreign office said on Saturday.

North Korea said Monday it completed a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

Russian teenager Adeliia Petrosian heads into her Olympic debut on Tuesday as an untested but technically loaded Olympic wild card, with former skaters saying her quad jumps and triple Axel firepower could put her on the podium if she delivers.

The support for Ukrainian athletes at the Milan-Cortina Games suggests there may be challenges with reinstating Russia and Belarus for the LA28 Olympics.

Russia's Black Sea coast, including the Taman seaport and fuel tanks, faced a heavy drone attack. This comes as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume in Geneva.