Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine’s Kharkiv hit by drones during longest air raid alert of the war; Putin praises Russia-China cooperation

This is CNBC's live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine. Check below for the latest updates.

Russian forces on Friday continued to attack Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, seeking to build on recent gains in Ukraine's strategically important northeastern region. The attacks come as Russian forces seek to build on recent gains.

Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said via Telegram that Ukrainian forces successfully repelled several Russian ground attacks in the city. CNBC could not independently verify developments on the ground.

Syniehubov said Russian forces had attacked Kharkiv with at least five drone strikes overnight.

An air raid alert in the city of Kharkiv lasted more than 16-and-a-half hours, Reuters reported, citing Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne. It marked the longest recorded air alert since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing during the second day of his state visit to China.

Speaking at a Russia-China Expo in the Chinese city of Harbin, Putin said Russia was in the process of diversifying its supplies to China, including through agriculture exports such as fish, crops and pork.

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Friday proposals to use frozen Russian financial assets to aid Ukraine needed to comply with international law.

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven major democracies will meet in Italy next week and will discuss the question of how revenues from the frozen Russian assets should be used.

"Japan will join the discussions at the upcoming meeting from this basic standpoint," Suzuki said during a regular post-cabinet meeting