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Home » English Grammar Tests » Advanced English Grammar Tests » Reported Speech Test Exercises – Multiple Choice Questions With Answers – Advanced Level 32

Reported Speech Test Exercises – Multiple Choice Questions With Answers – Advanced Level 32

This exercise is an advanced level multiple choice test with multiple choice questions on reported speech (indirect speech) including the topics below.

Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

• Reporting Statements
• Reporting Questions
• Reporting Imperatives
• Reporting Modals
• Reporting Conditionals, Exclamations
• Reported Speech Mixed Type

Reported Speech Test Exercises - Multiple Choice Questions With Answers - Advanced Level 32

"I'm going to Istanbul tomorrow," he said.

He said ____ going to Istanbul ____.

"I'll give you half of the money if you keep your mouth shut," he said to me.

He ____ mouth shut.

"I am sorry I am late," he said "My car broke down."

He ____ and ____.

He ____ so often in Turkey.

"How far is it?" he said "and how long will it take me to get there?"

He ____ to get there.

"Climb up the tree," he said to me.

He ____ the tree.

The teacher ____ in the exam.

He wanted me to explain ____.

He warned me ____ anyone about the subject we ____ the day before.

"Come in and look round. We do not charge anything for looking," said the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper ____ us to come in and look around ____ us that he didn't require any amount for looking.

"I'll drop you from the team if you don't train harder," said the trainer. The trainer ____ to drop us from the team if we ____ harder.

We ____ all ____ that the meeting would begin in an hour.

"You have been leaking information to the journalists!" said the minister. "No, I haven't," said John. The minister ____ leaking information but John ____ it.

"I won't answer any questions," said the thief. The thief ____ to answer any questions.

"You pressed the wrong button," said the engineer "Don't do it again".

The engineer ____ that I had pressed the wrong button and he ____ it again.

"Yippee! I've passed the final exam," he exclaimed. "Congratulations! " I said.

He ____ that he had passed the final exam and I ____ him.

"Cigarette?" he said. "No, thanks," I said.

He ____ me a cigarette but I ____.

"You have gained weight!" I said. "I am afraid I have," he replied sadly.

I noted that he ____ weight and he admitted that he ____.

He said his car ____.

"I will inform her that I saw you". She said that she ____ her that she ____ me.

They are getting married next week.

She said that they ____.

She said that her dog ____.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?"

He ____ me a cup of coffee.

"Can you lend me some money until next week?"

He ____ some money from me.

"I must confess that I ate the cake last night."

She ____ that she had eaten the cake.

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Reported Speech Quiz

You can do this grammar quiz online or print it on paper. It tests what you learned on the Reported Speech pages.

1. Which is a reporting verb?

2. He said that it was cold outside. Which word is optional?

3. "I bought a car last week." Last week he said he had bought a car

4. "Where is it?" said Mary. She

5. Which of these is usually required with reported YES/NO questions?

6. Ram asked me where I worked. His original words were

7. "Don't yell!" is a

8. "Please wipe your feet." I asked them to wipe

9. She always asks me not to burn the cookies. She always says

10. Which structure is not used for reported orders?

Your score is:

Correct answers:

Reported speech Multiple choice quiz

• English grammar PDF
• PDF worksheets
• Mixed PDF tests
• Irregular verbs
• Modal verbs
• If-conditional
• Passive voice
• Reported speech
• Time clauses
• Relative clauses
• Indirect questions
• Question tags
• Imperative sentence
• Gerund and infinitive
• Direct | indirect object

Reported speech mcq - exercise 4

Choose the correct endings in the multiple choice test on reported speech (special cases).

"I am reading an interesting book," he told me. He told me that ___ an interesting book. (he's been reading, he was reading)

Check test Answer key Clear test

Reported speech multiple choice exercises and gap-filling + grammar rules.

For intermediate and advanced learners of English.

Reported questions – Exercise

Task no. 2323.

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary.

Peter, "Did John clean the black shoes?" Peter asked me  

Peter asked me if John had cleaned the black shoes .

Do you need help?

Reported questions in English

• Christopher, "Do you want to dance?" Christopher asked me .
• Betty, "When did you come?" Betty wanted to know .
• Mark, "Has John arrived?" Mark asked me .
• Ronald, "Where does Maria park her car?" Ronald asked me .
• Elisabeth, "Did you watch the latest film?" Elisabeth asked me .
• Mandy, "Can I help you?" Mandy wanted to know .
• Andrew, "Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?" Andrew asked me .
• Justin, "What are you doing?" Justin asked me .
• Frank, "How much pocket money does Lisa get?" Frank wanted to know .
• Anne, "Must I do the shopping?" Anne asked .
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• Reported Speech

Reported Speech Quizzes

Preview 20 Quizzes about Reported Speech

Six people applied for the job, but four of them were ______.

A. looked up

B. dealt with

C. turned down

E. put up with

Martin asked me _______.

A. how is my father

B. how my father is

C. how was my father

D. how my father was

Harold said, “Don’t bring sodas near the computers!”

A. Harold told us not to bring sodas near the computers. B. Harold asked us if we were bringing sodas near the computers. C. Harold told to us that we had bringed sodas near the computers D. Harold said to bring sodas near the computers.

Robert said, “I want to renew my domain.”

A. Robert said that I want to renew my domain. B. Robert said that he wanted to renew his domain. C. Robert said that he will renew his domain. D. Robert said that he renews his domain.

The policeman wondered, “Why didn’t you stop at the traffic lights?”

A. The policeman wondered why I hadn’t stopped at the traffic lights.

B. The policeman wondered why I didn’t stop at the traffic lights.

C. The policeman wondered why I haven’t stopped at the traffic lights.

I wonder why he___________ love his family.

Is this sentence correct or incorrect?

He said me that he could help me. _ A. Correct

B. Incorrect

My mum ___________ she was having a great time.

A. said her

B. told to her

Where is the error?

Janet asked Mary if she would be free the previous day. _ A. asked

C. would be

D. previous day

” I have done it yesterday” said Ela

A. Ela said that she has done it yesterday.

B. Ela said she had done it yesterday.

C. Ela said she had done it the day before.

Danny: ‘I’m going to be late’. Danny told me that he _______________ to be late.

A. will be going

B. is going

C. was going

The mother told her daughter _______ late at night.

A. to come home

B. not to come home

C. come home

D. don’t come home

‘Did you see the parade?’ She asked us …

A. where we’d seen the parade.

B. whether we’d seen the parade.

C. if did we see the parade.

‘Did you see Jack last night?’

A. He asked me if I’d seen Jack the night before.

B. He asked me if I saw Jack the night before.

Baruch said, “I might teach ESL next semester.”

A. Baruch said that he is going to teach ESL next semester. B. Baruch said that he will teach ESL next semester. C. Baruch said that he might teach ESL next semester. D. Baruch said that he could teach ESL next semester.

‘I can’t go out to the cinema today,’ Karla said.

A. She said she can’t go out to the cinema today.

B. She said she could not go out to the cinema that day.

C. She said she couldn’t go out to the cinema today.

D. She said she can’t go out to the cinema that day .

My mom: “Do your homework”

My mom ____________

A. told me to do my homework

B. told me do my homework

C. told me that I did my homework

‘What were you doing at the time?’ She asked me …

A. what I’d been doing at the time.

B. what was I doing at the time.

C. what had I been doing at the time.

‘What can we do about this?’ We wanted to know …

A. whether we could do about it.

B. what we could do about it.

C. what could we do about it.

Match the direct speech to the verb tense changes in reported speech choosing the correct option.

“Imperative ”

A. Present simple

B. Infinitive

C. The same tense

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Tips : If this page always shows the same questions, make sure you correct the question first by pressing the "check answer" button.

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Reported speech exercises

Mixed exercises to practise reported, or indirect speech.

Intermediate level

Multiple choice

Reported statements, questions, imperative mood

Filling gaps

Backshift of tenses in reported speech

Try our “total recall” course.

Reported speech is a specific issue in English grammar. There are special rules on how to transfer statements, questions and demands from direct to indirect speech. These exercises are composed for revision and systematization of your knowledge on reported speech. We recommend to do them after you have studied all smaller topics related to reported speech. The links to the explanations and exercises are below.

Related topics

He said he'd come — Reported statements

I asked her where she lived — Reported questions

I told him to stop — Reported requests & orders

Past simple

I was doing — Past continuous

I had done — How to form past perfect

I had been doing — How to form past perfect continuous

Top 10 topics

Irregular verbs

Conditionals (If I knew, I'd tell you)

Get on, turn up... — Phrasal verbs

Modal verbs (can, must, should etc.)

Present perfect vs. Past simple

Present simple and continuous for the future, to be going to

Passive voice (I was told)

At 2 o'clock on Sunday — Prepositions of time

Reported Speech – Free Exercise

Write the following sentences in indirect speech. Pay attention to backshift and the changes to pronouns, time, and place.

• Two weeks ago, he said, “I visited this museum last week.” → Two weeks ago, he said that   . I → he|simple past → past perfect|this → that|last …→ the … before
• She claimed, “I am the best for this job.” → She claimed that   . I → she|simple present→ simple past|this→ that
• Last year, the minister said, “The crisis will be overcome next year.” → Last year, the minister said that   . will → would|next …→ the following …
• My riding teacher said, “Nobody has ever fallen off a horse here.” → My riding teacher said that   . present perfect → past perfect|here→ there
• Last month, the boss explained, “None of my co-workers has to work overtime now.” → Last month, the boss explained that   . my → his/her|simple present→ simple past|now→ then

Rewrite the question sentences in indirect speech.

• She asked, “What did he say?” → She asked   . The subject comes directly after the question word.|simple past → past perfect
• He asked her, “Do you want to dance?” → He asked her   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you → she|simple present → simple past
• I asked him, “How old are you?” → I asked him   . The subject comes directly after the question word + the corresponding adjective (how old)|you→ he|simple present → simple past
• The tourists asked me, “Can you show us the way?” → The tourists asked me   . The subject comes directly after whether/if |you→ I|us→ them
• The shop assistant asked the woman, “Which jacket have you already tried on?” → The shop assistant asked the woman   . The subject comes directly after the question word|you→ she|present perfect → past perfect

Rewrite the demands/requests in indirect speech.

• The passenger requested the taxi driver, “Stop the car.” → The passenger requested the taxi driver   . to + same wording as in direct speech
• The mother told her son, “Don’t be so loud.” → The mother told her son   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The policeman told us, “Please keep moving.” → The policeman told us   . to + same wording as in direct speech ( please can be left off)
• She told me, “Don’t worry.” → She told me   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t
• The zookeeper told the children, “Don’t feed the animals.” → The zookeeper told the children   . not to + same wording as in direct speech, but remove don’t

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Reported Speech Quiz

Test your understanding of Reported Speech in English with this Reported Speech Quiz. Reported Speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else said without quoting their exact words. It often involves changes in tense, pronouns, and time expressions to suit the reporting context. For example, direct speech: “ I am learning English, ” becomes in reported speech: “ She said she was learning English. ” This quiz has 15 questions and each question will ask you to change the direct speech into reported speech. Take The Quiz Below!

Direct: "I am watching a movie." Reported: She said that she __________ a movie.

Direct: "I will go to the store." Reported: He said that he __________ to the store.

Direct: "We have finished our homework." Reported: They said that they __________ their homework.

Direct: "I can play the piano." Reported: She said that she __________ the piano.

Direct: "I am going to watch a movie tonight." Reported: He said that he __________ a movie that night.

Direct: "We are meeting our friends tomorrow." Reported: They said that they __________ their friends the next day.

Direct: "I have been reading a book." Reported: She said that she __________ a book.

Direct: "I ate pizza last night." Reported: He said that he __________ pizza the night before.

Direct: "We will finish the project by tomorrow." Reported: They said that they __________ the project by the next day.

Direct: "I saw him yesterday." Reported: She said that she __________ him the day before.

Direct: "I must leave now." Reported: He said that he __________ right away.

Direct: "We can't come to the party." Reported: They said that they __________ to the party.

Direct: "I did not see him at the event." Reported: She said that she __________ him at the event.

Direct: "I have been feeling unwell." Reported: He said that he __________ unwell.

Direct: "We were planning to visit you." Reported: They said that they __________ to visit you.

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Not learned about reported speech yet? Then check out this Reported Speech Guide which includes lots of examples to help you master this important part of English grammar.

Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners

Making the necessary changes in reported speech

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• Tom said he wants to visit his friends that weekend.
• Tom said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.
• Tom said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend.

 Make sure to change both the pronoun and the time indicator (this to that) in reported speech . 

• Jerry said he was studying English a lot at that moment.
• Jerry said he was studying English a lot at the moment.
• Jerry said I was studying English a lot at that moment.

 Change 'the moment' to 'that moment' in reported speech. 

• They said they have lived there for a long time.
• They said they lived here for a long time.
• They said they had lived there for a long time.

 Move the present perfect tense into the past perfect tense in the reported speech. 

• He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper.
• He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
• He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper.

 Change questions from their inverted question structure back to standard sentence structure in the reported speech. 

• Peter said he got up every morning at seven o'clock.
• Peter said I got up every morning at seven o'clock.
• Peter said he had got up every morning at seven o'clock.

Make sure to change pronouns when using reported speech . 

• Susan told me I could come that night.
• Susan told me she could come that night.
• Susan told me she could come tomorrow evening.

 Change 'tonight' to the 'that night' in the reported speech. 

• She told me she really wished she bought that new car.
• She told me she really had wished she had bought that new car.
• She told me she really wished she had bought that new car.

 The past perfect remains the past perfect in reported speech. 

• Jack said he must have been guilty.
• Jack said he must have be guilty.
• Jack said he must has been guilty.

 Use the past modal verb of probability when reporting 'must'. 

• Cheryl asked her how long she has lived there.
• Cheryl asked her how long she lived there.
• Cheryl asked her how long she had lived there.

 Change the present perfect to the past perfect in reported speech . 

• He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.
• He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, I was going to be late.
• He told me he has to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.

 'Had to' can be used as the past of the modal verb 'must'.

• Lenny sang, 'I want to get away, I want to fly away.'
• Lenny sang he wanted to get away, he wanted to fly away.
• Lenny sings he wanted to get away, he wanted to fly away.
• Lenny sang he wanted to get away, he wants to fly away.

 Change the present simple to the past simple as well as pronouns when using reported speech. 

You understand the changes necessary when using reported speech. Well done! Follow up by studying and practicing some more advanced level grammar forms.  

 Good try! You obviously understand reported speech, but are having some difficulty with some of the minor changes necessary. Keep practicing and you will mast reported speech soon. 

 You still need to practice reported speech. Remember that the tense of the original statement moves one step back in reported speech. In other words, the present simple becomes the past simple. Keep working and you'll understand and be able to use the form soon. 

• Indirect Speech in the English Language
• Using Reported Speech: ESL Lesson Plan
• Reporting Verbs for English Language Learners
• Essential Basic English Lessons
• How to Teach Reported Speech
• Parallelism in Writing for English Learners
• A Short Guide to Punctuation
• Advanced English Grammar Review Quiz
• How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English?
• Sentence Type Basics for English Learners
• Learn to Order Events for Narrative Writing Assignments
• Past Perfect Worksheets
• Various Future Forms for English Learners
• Rhetorical Questions for English Learners
• Indirect Speech Definition and Examples
• How to Write a Business Report for English Learners

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Free Practice Tests for learners of English

Reported speech, b1 grammar topics.

• Alternative comparison  
• Both, either, neither  
• Conditional, 2nd  
• Conditional, 3rd  
• Connecting words  
• Embedded questions  
• Future Continuous  
• So, such, too, enough  
• May, might + adverbs of probability  
• Modals for Recommendations  
• Modals for Past Deduction  
• Modals for Present Deduction  
• Prepositions of place  
• Prepositions of time  
• Present Perfect Continuous  
• Present Perfect vs Past Simple  
• Passives  
• Past Perfect  
• Reported Speech  
• Question Tags  
• Should have  

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Worksheets - handouts

Reported speech

Worksheets - pdf exercises.

• Reported statements - worksheet
• Worksheet - reported questions
• Reported yes/no questions
• Worksheet - reported speech
• Reported speech - exercises pdf
• Indirect speech - exercises
• Reported speech - exercises
• Mixed reported speech 1
• Mixed reported speech 2
• Reported speech 1 
• Reported speech 2  
• Reported speech 3 
• Reported speech 4
• Reported speech 5
• Reported wh- questions
• Reported speech - worksheet 
• Reported commands
• Reported questions
• Reported speech 1
• Reported speech 2
• Reported requests and orders
• Reported speech exercise
• Reported questions - worksheet
• Indirect speech - worksheet
• Worksheets pdf - print
• Grammar worksheets - handouts

Grammar - lessons

• Reported speech - grammar notes
• How to use reported speech - lesson
• Tense changes - grammar

English Practice Downloadable PDF Grammar and Vocabulary Worksheets

Reported speech (b1).

• RS013 - Reported Speech
• RS012 - Reported Questions and Commands
• RS011 - Reported Speech
• RS010 - Reported Speech
• RS009 - Reported Commands
• RS008 - Reported Questions
• RS007 - Reported Speech
• RS006 - Reported Speech
• RS005 - Reported Speech
• RS004 - Reported Speech
• RS003 - Reported Speech
• RS002 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises
• RS001 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises
• Adjective - Adverb
• Gerund and Infinitive
• Modal Verbs
• Reported Speech
• Passive Voice
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Quantifiers
• Relative Clauses
• Prepositions
• Questions and Negations
• Question Tags
• Language in Use
• Word Formation
• General Vocabulary
• Topical Vocabulary
• Key Word Transformation

News Articles

• Letters and Emails
• Blog Posts and Comments
• Connectives and Linking Phrases
• Phrasal Verbs
• Collocations and Phrases

Listening Comprehension

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Topic: REPORTED SPEECH (indirect)

Level: intermediate.

Reported Speech Exercise 6

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Ukraine war latest: Russian port suffers 'massive' overnight attack and oil refinery left in flames - as Putin's insists his forces aren't trying to capture major city

The northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv came under attack once again overnight, according to officials. This one lasted more than 16 hours, according to reports. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin is in China, where he has met with president Xi Jinping.

Friday 17 May 2024 12:22, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Russian troops advance - but situation 'stabilised', says Zelenskyy
• Putin: Capturing major city 'not part of plan'
• Kharkiv 'attacked' in 16-hour air raid alert - longest since war began
• Footage shows oil refinery fire and burning fuel depots after 'massive' overnight attack
• Analysis: Great power politics on display in China visit
• Were Putin and Xi really pictured with their 'nuclear footballs'?
• Live reporting by Narbeh Minassian

Ask a question or make a comment

The US is "playing with fire" over its "indirect war" with Russia, a top diplomat has warned.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the TASS news agency: "We warn that they are playing with fire. They have long been in a state of indirect war with the Russian Federation."

His comments reflect Russian concern over the West's ongoing support for Ukraine, with recent comments viewed by Moscow as an aggressive shift.

The UK's foreign secretary Lord Cameron said earlier this month Ukraine has a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia - while US secretary of state Antony Blinken made similar comments during a visit this week in Kyiv.

"They somehow fail to realise that, in order to satisfy their own geopolitical ideas, they are approaching a phase in which it will be very difficult to control what is happening and to prevent a dramatic crisis," Mr Ryabkov added, referring to the US.

"This rhetoric, this drumming, this constant baiting of their allies to help Ukraine even more, to expand their support, shows only one thing: people are living, as they themselves say, 'in a box'," he said.

He said this is a "great risk" as it is "impossible to get through" to the Americans.

Russia has shown "no indication" of trying to restrain its forces from "brutally victimising" Ukrainian civilians and committing war crimes, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

It comes as internal affairs minister Ihor Klymenko claimed Russian forces have executed civilians and taken others captive in Vovchansk, in Kharkiv region, which has been hit by several rounds of airstrikes.

The ISW said "the detention and summary execution of civilians is a war crime" and "emblematic of Russian forces' behaviour in all occupied Ukrainian territories".

"Russian military massacres like the massacres in Bucha and Izyum are a microcosm of Russian atrocities throughout Russian-occupied areas," the ISW added. 

"Russian attempts to seize major population centres like Kharkiv city do not just threaten Ukraine with operationally significant setbacks but also with war crimes and violations that accompany Russian occupation."

Vladimir Putin has just claimed capturing the city of Kharkiv is not part of Russia's current plan.

Instead, Moscow intends to create a "buffer zone" for Russia's own security, he said.

Speaking at a news conference in China, Mr Putin, who also says all operations are going according to plan, claimed Kyiv is to blame for the attack in Kharkiv.

"As for what is happening in the Kharkiv direction. This is also their [Ukraine's] fault, because they shelled and continue, unfortunately, to shell residential neighbourhoods in the border areas, including Belgorod," he added.

"Civilians are dying there. It's obvious. They are shooting directly at the city centre, at residential areas. 

"And I said publicly that if this continues, we will be forced to create a security zone, a buffer zone. That is what we are doing."

As we've been reporting, Ukraine says the situation in Kharkiv region - where Russian forces have been mounting new attacks - has "stabilised".

But Volodymyr Zelenskyy has admitted Russia has advanced as far as 10km in one area, as Moscow appears to be expanding the front line to stretch Ukraine's forces.

As the situation around Kharkiv remains "highly dramatic", Germany's foreign minister says Ukraine needs more long-range weapons to cut off Russian supply routes.

While Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the situation has "stabilised" (see our 9.04am post), Russian troops have advanced as much as 10km in one area.

This has put added pressure on Ukraine's already-stretched forces.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers in Strasbourg, Annalena Baerbock said it is important to provide weapons "that can be used over medium and long distances".

"We are also working with other partners on this," she said, adding it is overall an "extremely difficult situation".

Germany is Ukraine's second-biggest supplier of weapons, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far balked at delivering long-range Taurus missiles.

The West has generally prohibited the use of its weapons on Russian territory, but Moscow claims some of those arms have been used within the country's borders.

Kyiv is preparing troops to defend the northern region of Sumy, according to the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces.

Oleksandr Syrskyi says he expects fighting to intensify as Russia continues to attack Kharkiv - with Sumy the next possible target, roughly 170km northwest.

Russia's attack on Kharkiv has expanded the area of active fighting by almost 70km, he added, which was designed to force Ukraine to divert stretched resources to the region.

Vladimir Putin is in the northern province of Harbin today as part of his official visit to China.

Today, he's said Russia's strategic alliance with China in the energy sector will strengthen further - adding Moscow is ready to supply clean energy to its neighbour.

Speaking at a Russia-China Expo, Mr Putin said the close relationship between the two countries is a guarantor of energy security.

Here are some of the first pictures coming out of his second day of the trip.

Ukraine's military claims it has shot down all 20 drones it says Russia dispatched overnight to Kharkiv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odesa and Mykolaiv.

As we reported earlier, Kharkiv sounded its longest air raid alert since the invasion began (see our 6.37am post).

The region of Kharkiv has been increasingly targeted this spring, with Russia intensifying aerial attacks and mounting a new offensive in the border areas, forcing Kyiv's outnumbered troops to try to hold the line on a new front.

The attack damaged five buildings, one of them belonging to the district administration, Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said on Telegram.

Kharkiv city mayor Ihor Terekhov reported four explosions during the attack, adding one of the strikes caused a fire.

Three drones were shot down over the Poltava region with no casualties or infrastructure damages, according to its regional governor, Filip Pronin.

Also on Telegram, Mykolaiv's regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, said there had been no casualties after the overnight attacks.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the situation in Kharkiv has "stabilised" as of today, as cited by news outlet RBC-Ukraine.

He says Russian forces have advanced 10km (6 miles) in one area of the region, which has been intensely targeted by Moscow in a bid to stretch Ukraine's already-outnumbered troops.

“Today, our defence forces have stabilised the Russians where they are now," he said. 

"The deepest point of their advance is 10 km."

Later, he posted on X "we must use all available means to force Russia to make a real and just peace", adding the country's defence is "critical" for this.

We have reported this morning Russia claimed a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery in Krasnodar (see our 6.44am post).

Footage shared by The Wall Street Journal's chief foreign affairs correspondent, Yarsolav Trofimov, shows a fire at the Tuapse refinery.

The attacks may have been more successful than Russia lets on, with another video showing burning fuel depots at the Novorossiysk railway, also in Krasnodar.

The Russian defence ministry said air defences downed 51 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, another 44 over the Krasnodar region and six over the Belgorod region. 

Russian warplanes and patrol boats also destroyed six sea drones in the Black Sea, the ministry added.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has again denied reports of arms exchanges with Russia - insisting the country's updated weapons systems are not for sale.

According to state-run KCNA, Kim Yo Jong said North Korea's recently-shown tactical weapons, such as rocket launchers and missiles, are for defence against South Korea, with the two countries technically still at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty.

The US and South Korea have accused North Korea of transferring weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Despite vowing to deepen military relations last year, both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations.

While ties between the two countries have strengthened dramatically in recent months, Kim Yo Jong said the North Korea-Russia arms deal "theory" made up of prejudice and fiction was the "most absurd theory", according to KCNA quoting her press statement.

She called it a false rumour spread by its hostile forces.

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