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.
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Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
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