War in Ukraine: What happened this week?

The past week saw discussions held by UK with both Ukraine and Russia about the ongoing crisis while the Ukraine government advised its refugee to not return.

Here, Chamberlink Daily rounds up the events of the past week.

Sunday 23 October

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP speaks with his Russian counterpart to refute Russia 's claims about Western countries escalating the conflict in Ukraine and to reiterate the UK 's desire to de-escalate the conflict.

Monday 24 October

The UK 's Chief of the Defence Staff speaks with his Russian counterpart to reinstate the UK 's enduring support for Ukraine and emphasise the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the UK and Russia to facilitate de-escalation.

Tuesday 25 October

Ukraine 's Government advises refugees living abroad not to return to the country until the spring amid concerns about the country 's damaged energy infrastructure being able to cope with demand in winter.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks with President Zelenskyy, underlining the UK 's continued support for the Ukraine and agreeing to continue placing pressure on Russia through economic sanctions.

Wednesday 26 October

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP meets his Turkish counterpart, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar in Istanbul and discusses shared challenges and issues, including Russia 's war in Ukraine and T�rkiye 's crucial role in ensuring grain exports are able to leave the region.

Media reports claim that 1,000 bodies have been exhumed in the recently liberated territories of the Kharkiv oblast.

The United Nation 's aid chief reveals he is 'relatively optimistic ' that a UN-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine Black Sea grain exports would be extended beyond mid-November.

Estonia 's Foreign Minister urges Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to raise UK defence spending to 3% of GDP. The UK currently spends just over 2% of GDP a year on defence, in line with NATO 's spending guidelines.

Thursday 27 October

Ambassador Bush, Head of the UK 's Delegation to the OSCE, marks eight months since Russia 's illegal invasion of Ukraine at the OSCE in Vienna.