Xi Jinping begins four-day Russia visit as Ukrainian drones attack Moscow
Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow at the start of a four-day visit to attend Russia's military parade commemorating the anniversary of the end of the second world war, known in Russia as Victory Day.
The Chinese leader's arrival coincided with Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital. Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said Russia's air defence units destroyed at least 14 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The attacks forced most of Moscow's airports to close and Russia's national carrier Aeroflot said it was reordering timetables to cope with the disruption.
Xi's visit, which comes as China is engaged in a trade war with the US and soon after Ukraine has accused China of directly aiding Russia's invasion, underscores his close relationship with Vladimir Putin. It is Xi's 11th visit to Russia – more than to any other country – since becoming president.
The Russian foreign ministry described the trip as 'one of the central events in Russian-Chinese relations this year'. Xi is expected to sign numerous cooperation agreements, deepening the 'no limits' relationship between China and Russia. There will also be discussion of the planned Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which could carry 50bn cubic metres of gas a year from Russia to China.
Xi is expected to hold talks with Putin on Thursday and to attend the Victory Day parade on Friday. China's People's Liberation Army will send an honour guard to participate in the ceremony in Moscow for the first time since 2015, and for the first time ever will send an honour guard to participate in parallel celebrations in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Bilateral trade between China and Russia has reached record levels since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, providing Moscow with an economic lifeline at a time when western countries have imposed sanctions on it. Trade reached $245bn in 2024, 66% more than in 2021.
China maintains it is a neutral party in the war and that it supports a peaceful resolution to the conflict. But in recent months Kyiv has been increasingly outspoken about what it says is China's direct aid for Moscow's war efforts.
Two Chinese mercenaries, out of hundreds who have travelled to fight with the Russian army, were caught in the eastern Donetsk region last month. They did not have a direct link to the Chinese state but recruitment videos are easily found on China's tightly controlled social media.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused China of turning a blind eye to the participation of its nationals in the war.
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Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Russia moves its $500million planes to a remote base as far away from Ukraine as possible after drone attacks destroyed fleets across different airfields
Russia has hidden two of its most valuable warplanes in a remote airbase just days after a stunning Ukrainian drone strike wreaked havoc on its elite bomber fleet. Satellite images have revealed that the pair of supersonic Tu-160 strategic bombers - each carrying a $500million price tag - have been relocated more than 4,000 miles from the warfront to Anadyr, an isolated Cold War-era airfield nestled on the desolate Chukotka Peninsula. The dramatic retreat comes after Ukraine's spy agency, the SBU, pulled off what has been dubbed Operation Spider's Web on June 1. It was a meticulously choreographed drone blitz that reportedly damaged several of Moscow 's rare strategic bombers - aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons and critical to Russia's long-range strike capability. In a slickly produced video released by the SBU, the daring mission was laid bare. Cheap drones were smuggled into Russia in modified wooden cabins strapped to the backs of lorries, driven by unsuspecting civilians. The drones were reportedly piloted by Ukrainian operatives housed in a building close to an office of Russia's FSB security service and successfully evaded detection in a scathing indictment of Russia's intelligence apparatus. The drones were released near their targets and struck military airfields in a synchronised assault across three time zones, involving a staggering 117 drones. Pictured: Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber takes off for patrol flight over the Arctic Sea at unidentified location in an image taken from video released January 17, 2023 The plan, which had been 18 months in the making and overseen by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, targeted five airfields, but only four were hit. One drone convoy reportedly suffered a premature explosion en route to a site in Russia's Far East. Despite Kremlin denials, military experts believe the damage is severe. Sources inside Ukraine's SBU security service claimed the operation crippled 34 per cent of Russia's long-range strategic bombers, including the nuclear-capable Tu-95s and Tu-22M3s, often used to launch cruise missiles into Ukraine. These planes, however, are no longer manufactured, and so cannot be replaced. Footage showed decimated enemy planes in flames on the runway and Ukrainian security sources claimed to have taken out 41 aircraft worth some £1.5billion. In drone footage, several Russian planes were seen erupting in a blaze as they soared over the Russian aircrafts. As they continued their journey, the drones blasted the planes stationed ahead, sending them into a ball of fire. Separate images revealed the destruction as plumes of black clouds billowed into the sky behind buildings as the attack was carried out. Footage appeared to show black smoke at the scene on the Kola Peninsula following explosions at the secret base. Analysts have said the relocation of the Tu-160s is a clear sign that Moscow fears further precision strikes. Professor Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for air power at the Royal United Services Institute, told the i newspaper that imagery from the Anadyr base could suggest Moscow was trying to reduce the risk of more drone attacks. But while the American B-52 Stratofortress costs around $94million, the Russian Tu-160 dwarfs that figure at over five times the price. Only 16 Tu-160s are believed to be operational, and the Kremlin has managed to assemble just two new ones since 2022, despite promises of more. Western officials were quick to praise Ukraine's bold strike on June 1. Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, compared the raid to a 'reinvention of the Trojan Horse', with new 'technical and industrial creativity'. Still, Russia is trying to project calm. Deputy Foreign Miister Sergei Ryabkov insisted on Wednesday that the country's nuclear deterrence remains intact and that all damaged bombers 'can and will be restored'. Experts, however, say repairs could take years - if not longer - raising serious questions about Russia's ability to project air power in the coming months. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials claim that Moscow's decision to launch a recent cruise missile attack using a Tu-160, which are normally reserved for only the most strategic missions, signals a potential shortfall in available Tu-95s and Tu-22s. Operation Spiderweb was 18 months in the making and under the control of Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the Ukrainian security service, the SBU. Zelensky also noted its symbolic timing as the operation came exactly 29 years after Ukraine handed over its own strategic bombers to Russia as part of the ill-fated Budapest Memorandum, under which Moscow promised never to attack its neighbour. 'We can say with confidence that this is an absolutely unique operation,' he said in statement on social media, revealing that 117 drones were used to target bombers 'used to fire at our cities.' 'What's most interesting, is that the 'office' of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions,' he added. 'In total, 117 drones were used in the operation, with a corresponding number of drone operators involved, and 34 per cent of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. We will continue this work.'
Spectator
an hour ago
- Spectator
I've lost control of the kitchen
Looking back, I can pinpoint my fatal blunder. It was lunch. It was like the West allowing Vladimir Putin to help himself to the Crimean peninsula without a peep, basically. This is how it happened. My husband had invited two families to stay over the May bank holiday which bled into half term. For four days. 'Don't worry,' he said, in light tones, ahead of their arrival. 'I've told them they're bringing all the food and doing all the cooking.' As if I'd welcome this wonderful idea, when in fact what he'd suggested was the domestic equivalent of handing over the nuclear football and the codes behind my back. The guests are delightful and I couldn't wait to have them all (five adults and five children), but guests handling the catering was never going to happen under my roof, as my husband ought to have known. One, I am a fast and capable cook. I came second to Ed Balls in the final of the BBC's Celebrity Best Home Cook series (and maintain that he won because he made a pirate cake with full sails out of chocolate and he blubbed). Two, if an Englishman's home is his castle, the female equivalent of the White House Situation Room is a woman's kitchen. The last thing I needed, in other words, was several other bossy middle-class parents occupying my catering HQ on Exmoor. Plus, I'd already ordered a van-busting home delivery from Sainsbury's. On the Art of War principle that 'supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemies' resistance without fighting', I replied: 'Oh no, don't worry! But maybe they can do lunches?' Category error on my part. Perhaps I'm late to the party here but, as it turned out, the families didn't really have a concept of 'lunch' as a separate meal, after breakfast and before supper. They simply prepared and ate fare whenever they or their children were hungry, which was, of course, all the time. In more civilised places than the Johnson compound, i.e. Provence or Tuscany, when you have 12 people for four days it's understood that one of the 'main' meals will be 'out', i.e. at a restaurant to spare mine hosts, and the convention is that the guests stump for this. But the farm is two miles from Tarmac. It's an hour round trip for a pint of milk. A two-hour round trip to a pub. All meals are eaten in and none are 'opt'. The last thing I needed was several other bossy middle-class parents occupying my catering HQ on Exmoor On day one, everyone arrived at teatime after extended drives on the M4 and M5. We had tea and cake, and a late-ish supper. So far, so good. Two meals down! Day two was different. When provisioning, I'd texted my husband's nephew to ask what his three heavenly girls ate for breakfast. 'Bacon eggs toast juice fruit yoghurts porridge etc,' came the detailed reply. I therefore rose at 8 a.m. to slam the first tray of bacon in, yet there were people refilling the coffee jug and boiling eggs and stirring porridge at elevenses. Still, the guests did a fine clear-up and cleared off with the kids to a local beauty spot while I made scones for tea. Everyone returned from Tarr Steps at 1 p.m., making noises about their lunch duty, and invaded the kitchen. For hours. With what I felt was superhuman restraint – I can make an apple crumble in five minutes flat, and on Best Home Cook I made crab ravioli on a bed of fennel with a citrus jus from scratch starting with flour and water for the homemade pasta in 35 minutes – I only said 'But how long does it actually take to boil rice?' loudly around three times. At 3 p.m. (!) there was a simple lunch of delicious dahl (brought from London in Tupperware) and the rice on the table. As I shovelled it in, I worked out that at this rate, there would be half an hour until tea; tea would run straight into children's supper; and then adult supper. I had an awful vision of us all mealing non-stop till bedtime. I therefore put my fork and foot down and made an announcement. First, there would be a 'breakfast window' of an hour. As it was already past 3.30, I went on, we would have the scones for pudding. This went down well. So I went to the kitchen to fetch the scones. It was then that I discovered a full tray of chicken pieces in the Aga bubbling in their juices. Genuinely panicked, I returned laden with the scones, Rodda's and jams. 'And what meal is all the chicken in the Aga for?' I queried, brokenly. The table fell silent. 'Oh I put them in, just in case the children were hungry… later,' one perfect guest replied as a dozen arms shot out to grab the scones as if they'd been deliberately starved by colonial aggressors for months. I sank to my chair and applied golden, crusted Rodda's thickly to my scone. It was clear there'd still be a whole other meal 'later', i.e. between now and children's supper and, after that, two more days of culinary occupation. On day three the dishwasher flooded. On day four, the Aga went out as if in protest and could not be relit. Looking back, yes – it was lunch. Lose lunch, and you'll be out-generalled in your own kitchen by a chicken traybake.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Six members of Russian spy ring to have ‘too lenient' jail sentences reviewed
SIX members of a Russian spy ring are to have their jail sentences reviewed for being too lenient, we can reveal. The Bulgarians — who lived and worked in the UK — plotted sex stings, and targeted Russian dissidents and journalists critical of President Vladimir Putin 's war effort against Ukraine. 7 7 The ring included lab worker Katrin Ivanova, 33, and beauty shop owner Vanya Gaberova, 30 — dubbed 'killer sexy brunettes' by cell leaders. Ivanova got nine years and eight months and Gaberova eight years. They were both found guilty in March of breaching the Official Secrets Act by conspiring to provide information useful to an enemy between August 2020 and February 2023. Ivanova also got a concurrent sentence of 15 months for forged ID documents. All six got a total of more than 50 years last month. The Attorney General's Office has been asked to consider the sentences under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The ULS scheme allows anyone to ask for a Crown Court sentence to be assessed by the Attorney General's office if they think it is too lenient. Law officers have 28 days from sentencing to make a decision. 7 7 7 7 7
