Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the third day in a row on Wednesday, disrupting air traffic at the capital’s airports just hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping's scheduled arrival for a high-profile visit.
The strikes forced airport closures and grounded flights, intensifying tensions as Russia prepares to celebrate Victory Day on 9 May.
Xi, whose country is Russia’s top buyer of oil and gas and a key economic ally amid Western sanctions, is set to arrive Wednesday evening. Though the Chinese Foreign Ministry avoided commenting on the drone attacks, it emphasized the need to avoid further escalation.
The Kremlin condemned the drone strikes as acts of terrorism, and said its intelligence and military forces were ensuring safety for the upcoming anniversary events. Xi is expected to attend the Red Square parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, making him the most prominent international figure at the event.
Russia views Xi's attendance, along with leaders from 28 other nations, as a diplomatic win and a sign it is not isolated. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry warned that foreign military participation in the parade would contradict any country’s neutral stance on the war.
While Moscow reported destroying 14 Ukrainian drones, Kyiv suffered its own airstrike overnight, with a mother and her son killed. Russia insists it only targets military infrastructure.
Xi, who has called for peace talks and criticized U.S. arms support to Ukraine, will meet Putin on Thursday and attend the parade Friday. He is also expected to sign multiple deals, reinforcing China's strategic partnership with Moscow.
As U.S.-China tensions continue, and Washington tries to revive peace efforts, Putin and Xi aim to present a united front against American dominance. In an article published Wednesday, Xi emphasized preserving the post-World War II international order and strengthening China-Russia cooperation. Russian officials hailed the visit as a major event in bilateral relations, with discussions expected to cover energy projects like the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.
Russia announced on Sunday that its forces had made significant advances in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, capturing two settlements as...
Türkiye has proposed jointly leading next year’s U.N. climate summit, COP31, alongside Australia in an effort to resolve a long-running standoff ov...
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday proposed creating a new regional co-operation body, which he called the “Community of Central Asia”, ...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his firm opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying his position has “n...
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave a speech in Tashkent on 16 November at the 7th Consultative Meeting of Central Asian leaders, where regional...
Russia’s budget deficit reached 4.2 trillion rubles (around $51.9 billion) in the first ten months of 2025, driven by rising government spending, according to data from the Finance Ministry released on Tuesday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 29 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ukraine is ready for peace talks but will not withdraw its troops from additional territory first as Moscow has demanded, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Russian air defence systems destroyed 193 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 34 that targeted Moscow and 47 over the Bryansk region where one person was killed and five others were injured, Russian authorities said on Monday.
Storm Claudia, which brought violent weather to Portugal, has resulted in the deaths of three people and left dozens injured, authorities reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, in Britain, rescue teams were organising evacuations due to heavy flooding in Wales and England.
Japan urged China on Saturday to take "appropriate measures" after Beijing issued a warning to its citizens against travelling to Japan, amid an ongoing dispute over Taiwan.
U.S. President Donald Trump purchased at least $82 million in corporate and municipal bonds between late August and early October, including new investments in sectors benefiting from his policies, according to financial disclosures made public on Saturday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the importance of securing a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan during a call on Friday with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is taking part in the at the 7th Consultative Meeting of Central Asian leaders, which is being held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
Russia announced on Sunday that its forces had made significant advances in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, capturing two settlements as part of a broader offensive aimed at seizing full control of the area.
Türkiye has proposed jointly leading next year’s U.N. climate summit, COP31, alongside Australia in an effort to resolve a long-running standoff over who will host the event, Turkish diplomatic sources have confirmed.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday proposed creating a new regional co-operation body, which he called the “Community of Central Asia”, aimed at strengthening economic integration across the region’s more than 80 million people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his firm opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying his position has “not changed one bit” despite growing international pressure.
Thousands of people across Mexico took to the streets on Saturday under the rallying cry of “Generation Z,” demanding an end to rising violence and expressing outrage over the killing of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo earlier this month.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment