Ukraine-Russia war latest: Two children among 11 injured in Kyiv in mass drone attack

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make an official visit to Russia from 7-10 May, where he will participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said on Sunday.

In a statement on Telegram, the Kremlin said that Xi will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin the development of the two countries’ strategic partnership, as well as signing a number of documents.

“During the talks, the main issues of further development of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda will be discussed,” the Kremlin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he hopes the need to use nuclear weapons would not arise, adding that it had not so far.

In a fragment of an upcoming interview with Russian state television published on Telegram on Sunday, Mr Putin also said that Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a “logical conclusion”.

Ukraine’s air defence units shot down 69 of 165 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack, the air force said on Sunday.

It said 80 drones were lost, in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them, or they were drone simulators that did not carry warheads.

The procession, involving roughly 1,000 UK service personnel from across the armed forces, will also include Ukrainian personnel currently training in Britain as part of Operation Interflex.

This act of solidarity highlights the global support for Ukraine’s ongoing defence against Russia’s invasion, the MoD said.

VE Day, observed annually on 8 May, marks the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Russia greeted a mineral deal signed between the United States and Ukraine with glee through gritted teeth.

Dmitri Medvedev, the former president, said the deal means Ukraine “will have to pay for military supplies with the national wealth of a disappearing country”. It does not.

It does mean that, for the first time this year, the US now sees Ukraine as a financial asset, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley

Russia launched a drone attack on Kyiv overnight, injuring at least 11 people, including two children, and sparking fires in several residential areas, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.

Falling debris from destroyed drones caused fires in Kyiv’s Obolonskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts. Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, confirmed the fires on social media. The city’s emergency services reported that 76 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blazes, including a fire in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district.

Photos posted online showed firefighters battling large fires at residential buildings during the night.In addition to the fires, several cars across the city caught fire from falling drone debris. Witnesses reported hearing explosions, which sounded like air defense systems in action, according to Reuters.

Kyiv and surrounding regions were under air-raid alerts for about an hour, starting soon after midnight local time.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of using a proposed three-day ceasefire as a “theatrical performance” ahead of Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations.

In response to Russia’s announcement of a 3-day halt in hostilities starting 8 May, Zelensky argued that such a brief period would not allow for meaningful peace talks.

He added that Ukraine would not be “playing games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin’s exit from isolation on 9 May,” referring to the planned foreign delegations attending Russia’s World War II commemorations.

Ukraine and the US have proposed a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, which Russia has so far rejected.

France plans to increase production of its AASM Hammer guided air bombs to 1,200 units in 2025, up from 830 in 2024, as part of ongoing defense support for Ukraine, according to The Kyiv Independent.

The precision bombs, developed by Safran, have become a key weapon for Ukraine’s air force due to their high accuracy and resistance to Russian electronic warfare.

According to Le Parisien, the French government requested Safran to integrate surface-to-air missile systems (SAM) onto Ukrainian fighter jets after American JDAM bombs failed to hit targets. This modification, completed in 2023, enables precise targeting from Ukraine’s Soviet-era jets.

France currently supplies around 50 AASM bombs per month to Ukraine.