Zelensky Reveals China Warned Putin Against Nuclear Weapons

Beijing Issues Stark Warning to Moscow

President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that China warned Russian president Vladimir Putin against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Zelensky told reporters on Thursday that voices in Russian media had raised the possibility of responding to Ukrainian strikes with nuclear weapons. He stated that this marked the first time China had directly responded in an ultimatum-like form, making clear that there could be no thought whatsoever of using nuclear weapons.

The disclosure comes amid continued Russian missile and drone barrages against Ukrainian cities. Zelensky emphasised that the Chinese position represented a significant diplomatic signal at a moment when escalation risks remain high. Ukrainian officials have monitored such statements closely as part of efforts to gauge international pressure on Moscow.

Overnight Strikes Hit Kyiv and Odesa

Russian forces launched 12 missiles, including six ballistic missiles, along with 121 drones against Ukraine overnight. President Zelensky reported that most of the drones and some of the missiles were shot down, yet the ballistic missiles reached their targets. The attacks left Ukraine exposed due to ongoing shortages in air defence munitions.

In Kyiv, 11 people including one child were wounded during strikes on the Solomianskyi, Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts. The State Emergency Service recorded explosions and fires across these areas. Infrastructure was hit even before the air raid alert was issued, according to reports from the capital.

Further south in the Odesa region, two people were killed after a Russian missile struck a building. Regional head Oleh Kiper confirmed that another man was wounded by shrapnel. These incidents formed part of a wider wave of attacks that also killed two people and wounded 12 elsewhere in Ukraine.

Ukraine Targets Russian Fuel Supplies at Sea

Ukraine attacked a dozen more Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov, its military said on Thursday. The strikes form part of a sustained campaign to disrupt fuel supplies to Russian forces and to isolate Moscow-occupied Crimea. In the first four days of the week, Ukraine hit at least 36 of Russia's ships and set them on fire in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

Ukraine's defence ministry stated that these included 32 Russian shadow fleet tankers and two dry cargo ships. All were attempting to deliver fuel to Crimea. Kyiv's long-range persistent drone attacks have already sparked a massive fuel shortage across Russia, leading to widespread reports of escalating prices.

Russian officials countered that only four ships came under attack and that one person was killed in the Ukrainian drone strikes. Ukraine's General Staff maintained that 21 tankers used to transport oil and petroleum products were damaged overnight, in addition to four tugboats, two cargo ships and a dredging vessel.

Russian Casualty Figures and Equipment Losses

Russia has lost around 1,417,770 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said. This total includes 1,490 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day alone.

The same update listed Russian equipment losses as 12,116 tanks, 24,922 armoured combat vehicles, 118,610 vehicles and fuel tanks, 45,754 artillery systems, 1,924 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,485 air defence systems, 437 aircraft, 353 helicopters, 401,925 drones, 33 ships and boats, and two submarines. These figures reflect the cumulative impact of Ukrainian operations across multiple fronts.

Advances Reported in Sumy Region

Russian troops took control of the settlement of Bachivsk in Ukraine's Sumy region, the defence ministry in Moscow said today. The claim has not been independently verified. Such territorial assertions continue to emerge alongside the broader pattern of missile and drone activity.

Ukrainian forces have responded with their own long-range strikes, focusing on vessels that support Russian logistics. The dual dynamic of Russian ground claims and Ukrainian maritime pressure illustrates the multi-domain nature of the current phase of fighting.

Urgent Appeals for Air Defence Support

Ukraine awaits supplies of air defence munitions after a shortage has left it exposed to Russian attacks. President Zelensky called on Ukraine's allies to quickly deliver the support packages of air defences agreed at the NATO summit this week. The shortfall has been particularly evident during recent nights when ballistic missiles penetrated Ukrainian defences.

Officials in Kyiv have stressed that timely deliveries remain essential to protect civilian infrastructure and population centres. The combination of drone swarms and ballistic missiles has placed sustained pressure on existing systems, prompting repeated requests for additional munitions from partner nations.

These developments occur against a backdrop of continued Russian attempts to maintain pressure through both aerial and ground operations. Ukrainian authorities continue to document the human and material costs while seeking to strengthen defensive capabilities in the weeks ahead.