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“Beijing is pursuing a variety of economic support mechanisms for Russia that mitigate both the impact of Western sanctions and export controls,” the report states.
North Korea conducted demonstration flights of new military drones, according to state media, as leader Kim Jong-un shared the spotlight with senior delegates from Russia and China during a spectacle in the nation’s capital.
State media reported on Friday that Kim unveiled his most potent nuclear-capable missiles during Pyongyang’s “Victory Day” ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War.
Kim was accompanied by Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu and a Chinese official from the ruling party, Li Hongchong. Earlier, Shoigu presented Kim with a “warm and good letter” signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which highlighted Pyongyang’s support for Russia in its conflict with Ukraine and added that the Korean War had paved the way for good relations with the West:
Now, via AFP, more on that US intelligence report: China has increased its energy imports from Russia and provided crude oil transport tankers and insurance coverage.
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In addition, the two parties have “increased the proportion of bilateral trade settled in yuan” and “expanded their use of domestic payment systems,” enabling “Russian entities to conduct financial transactions unfettered by Western interdiction.”
The report indicates that Beijing likely supplied Moscow with dual-use civilian-military equipment used in Ukraine, but notes that it is “difficult to ascertain the extent to which (China) has helped Russia evade and circumvent sanctions and export controls.”
In the early days of the war, Russia failed in its attempt to secure Kyiv and decapitate the country’s government, but it did seize vast swaths of another territory that Ukrainian forces are fighting to retake.
Beijing claims to be a neutral party in the conflict, but Western nations have criticized its refusal to condemn Moscow and its continued ties with the country.
Russia claims a drone was shot down over Moscow.
Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian military drone before it could attack its targets near Moscow on Friday, the Russian defense ministry was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.
According to the ministry, the incident caused no injuries or property damage.
China’s expanding economic support for Putin
Thursday’s US intelligence report stated that China’s economic ties with Russia have helped mitigate the impact of harsh Western sanctions imposed in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to AFP, China has reportedly grown even more important to Russia as an economic partner since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Democratic lawmakers issued the unclassified report.
“Beijing is pursuing a variety of economic support mechanisms for Russia that mitigate both the impact of Western sanctions and export controls,” the report states.
Opening overview
Welcome back to our coverage of the conflict in Ukraine in real-time. This is Helen Sullivan with the most recent information.
Our leading stories this morning are:
Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian military drone before it could attack its targets near Moscow on Friday, the Russian defense ministry was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.
According to the ministry, the incident caused no injuries or property damage.
Thursday’s US intelligence report stated that China’s economic ties with Russia have helped mitigate the impact of harsh Western sanctions imposed in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Elsewhere:
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine uploaded a video of Ukrainian soldiers declaring that they had recaptured Staromaiorske. In the video, Ukrainian militants declare that they have “liberated the village” east of the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stated that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days, particularly in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. Putin told Russian television on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg that Ukraine had not achieved triumph on any front.
Putin announced at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg that Russia can supplant Ukraine as a grain supplier to African countries. Putin stated that within three to four months, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea would receive free grain from Russia, having withdrawn from the Black Sea grain initiative and being accused by Ukraine of actively blocking ships from reaching Ukrainian ports. He named Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea as the recipients.
According to reports, Yevgeny Prigozhin attended the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. On Wednesday night, a close ally of Prigozhin purportedly posted a photo of the Wagner group commander meeting with African officials. In the unconfirmed photograph, Prigozhin can be seen standing next to a senior official from the Central African Republic (CAR), which has welcomed thousands of Wagner mercenaries in recent years.
Overnight, the Ukrainian air force reported that eight Shahed drones and two Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from Russia at the port city of Odessa. The air force reported that a security guard was slain and cargo terminal equipment was damaged when a rocket struck the administration building of the port.
According to a New York Times report, the British government has permitted sanctioned Russian oligarchs to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxuries such as private chefs, chauffeurs, and housekeepers.
According to sources, the European Commission has no funds to assist Ukraine with additional transportation costs following the collapse of the Black Sea agreement. According to sources cited by Reuters, the Commission had no immediate funds in the budget and no clear means to help finance the additional transport costs that Ukrainian grain exports will incur as a result of the termination of the Black Sea agreement.
Somali officials have reported that Russia has forgiven over $684 million of Somalia’s debt as part of an agreement reached on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. In a Facebook post, Somali Finance Minister Bihi Egeh said of the agreement with Moscow, “This step will play a significant role in the completion of the country’s debt forgiveness process.”
The Russian-born British newspaper owner Evgeny Lebedev has alleged that he was a victim of “Russophobia” in the United Kingdom during the conflict in Ukraine. In an article for the Evening Standard, which he owns, Lebedev argued that reckoning with “corporate hypocrisy” was “long overdue.”
