China president Xi Jinping will visit Russia in the spring of next year, Vladimir Putin has said amid his faltering war in Ukraine.
In remarks from a video conference between the two leaders broadcast on state television, Mr Putin said: “We are expecting you, dear Mr Chairman, dear friend, we are expecting you next spring on a state visit to Moscow.”
He said the visit would “demonstrate to the world the closeness of Russian-Chinese relations”. His comments were broadcast after parts of Ukraine came under fresh bombardment in early morning attacks by Russia.
Residents in Kyiv were told to rush to air raid shelters as air raid sirens wailed across the capital city at 2am local time. Ukraine’s military said it came under attack from 16 “kamikaze” drones, all of which it had shot down.
In his overnight address, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelemnsky said air commands in central, southern, eastern and western Ukraine repelled 54 Russian missiles and 11 drones on Thursday.
