On the 1140th day of war in Ukraine, Russian air defense units destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones overnight over ten of its regions and the annexed Crimea peninsula. Of the 55 shot down in border regions, 29 were in Rostov; 11 in Voronezh; 10 in Kursk, and 5 in Belgorod.
The attack, one of the largest in over three years of war, led to the early closure of airports in the southern part of the country, and residents of 48 apartments in a building in the Russian city of Aksay were evacuated in the Rostov region.
The Ministry of Defense stated that 69 of the drones were destroyed over the Krasnodar region in North Caucasus of Russia and 15 over North Ossetia-Alania in the same southern region of Russia.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have destroyed 32 drones out of the 55 in a Russian overnight attack, causing damage in the regions of Kharkiv in the northeast and Dnipropetrovsk in central Ukraine. Fifteen people were injured by drones falling in residential areas.
Russia and Ukraine continue to attack each other with long-distance drones despite the interest of United States in achieving a ceasefire.
China is verifying reports of Chinese citizens being captured in Ukraine and believes it is unfounded that "there are many more" Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine, where the Ukrainian army took two prisoners of this nationality on the Donetsk front.
Russia shoots down over 150 Ukrainian drones over ten of its regions
Russian air defenses shot down 158 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over ten of its regions and the annexed Crimea peninsula, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday.
According to the military report, the Ukrainian aerial attack, one of the largest in over three years of war, focused on the southern region of Krasnodar, where 67 drones were shot down.
A total of 55 unmanned aircraft were shot down in border regions with Ukraine: 29 in Rostov, 11 in Voronezh, 10 in Kursk, and 5 in Belgorod.
The geography of the attack also included the Russian republic of North Ossetia, where air defenses destroyed 11 drones.
Drones were also shot down in the regions of Penza (2), Saratov (1), Stavropol (1), and Oryol (1).
Additionally, seven drones were shot down over the waters of the Sea of Azov and six over the Black Sea.
This Defense report does not include the four drones shot down in the Orenburg region, where they attacked a military aerodrome, nor the two destroyed in the Nizhny Novgorod region, as previously reported by the Russian military command.
China verifies reports of Chinese citizens being captured in Ukraine
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that it is verifying reports of Chinese citizens being captured in Ukraine.
The government is urging citizens to stay away from areas of armed conflict and not get involved in any way, said spokesman Lin Jian at a regular press conference, as reported by Reuters.
China says Ukraine's claim of "many more Chinese" on the front lacks foundation
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it is verifying the situation regarding the possible involvement of its citizens in the war in Ukraine after the Ukrainian army captured two prisoners on the Donetsk front and claimed that "many more" are with Russian forces, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
China asserts that the claim of "many more" Chinese on the front lacks foundation and advises Ukraine to "correctly consider China's efforts and constructive role in a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis," as reported by Reuters.
It also reminds that the Chinese government "has always urged its citizens to refrain from participating in military operations of any party" and to "stay away from areas of armed conflict."
Lastly, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is trying to verify the situation regarding the presence of Chinese citizens in Ukraine.
Putin invites Modi to participate in the Victory Day Parade
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the Victory Day Parade on May 9, as reported by the India Today channel, according to Reuters.
Ukraine attacked a Russian military aerodrome in the Orenburg region last night with fixed-wing drones, over 1,000 kilometers from the nearest point of the Ukrainian border, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Telegram.
According to the military report, air defenses shot down four drones, which caused no casualties or damage to the military aerodrome.
Additionally, the Russian military command reported that two other unmanned aircraft were intercepted in the Nizhny Novgorod region, over 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The day before, Moscow accused Ukraine of not respecting the energy ceasefire in place for three weeks by attacking electrical facilities in the Russian Kursk region and in the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia, annexed in September 2022.
The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that the Russian Armed Forces strictly follow the order of President Vladimir Putin not to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
On March 18, Putin accepted the proposal of U.S. President Donald Trump to establish a 30-day moratorium on attacks against Ukrainian and Russian energy infrastructure, which was later joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine shoots down 32 Russian attack drones over various regions of the country
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 32 Shahed kamikaze drones and other models launched by Russia against its territory overnight, as reported by the Ukrainian Air Force on Wednesday, according to Efe.
The interceptions took place in the northern and eastern regions of Ukraine. Another eight unmanned aircraft without explosive charges - replicas of the kamikaze drones used by the Russians to confuse enemy defenses - fell without causing consequences.
The attack caused damage in the regions of Kharkiv in the northeast and Dnipropetrovsk in central Ukraine, where fifteen people were injured by drones falling in residential areas.
Russia and Ukraine continue to attack each other with long-distance drones despite U.S. efforts to achieve a ceasefire. Russia rejected a land, sea, and air ceasefire last month, which Ukraine had been willing to declare.
Zelensky said he asked his top diplomat to "immediately contact Beijing" after detaining two Chinese
The Ukrainian army has captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region, and there is information that "significantly more" are with Russian forces, as announced on Tuesday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Reuters.
There were no immediate comments from China. It is not known if Beijing has provided weapons or military knowledge to Russia, and it is unclear if the Chinese joined the fight on their own initiative. Russia allows foreigners to enlist in its army, as does Ukraine.
Zelensky said he asked his top diplomat to "immediately contact Beijing." He said China would be the third country to offer military support to Russia after Iran, which has supplied attack drones, and North Korea, which has provided soldiers, according to U.S. and South Korean officials.
China has provided strong diplomatic support to Russia since Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Beijing has also offered an economic lifeline through energy and consumer goods trade. Zelensky accuses Beijing of the involvement of Chinese mercenaries "in the Moscow war"