Chinese nationals injured in Moscow drone strike as India reports seafarer deaths in Odesa missile attack
A Ukrainian drone swarm that hit Moscow wounded three Chinese citizens, while a Russian missile strike on a cargo ship leaving Odesa killed four Indian crew members and injured another.
At least three Chinese nationals were injured during a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow on Sunday night and Monday morning, Chinese state media reported. The Chinese embassy in Russia said two of the injured are receiving treatment in a local hospital and are in stable condition, while a third has been discharged for care in China. The embassy activated its emergency response mechanism and asked Russian authorities to ensure the safety and property of Chinese citizens.
The drone swarm, which officials said involved around 400 unmanned aerial vehicles, injured a total of ten people in the Russian capital and its surrounding region.
Separately, India confirmed that four of its nationals were among ten people killed when a Russian cruise-missile strike hit the cargo vessel MV Golden Leo as it departed the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa. The ship, flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau and owned by a Turkish company, was carrying a crew that included five Indians and two Syrians. A surviving Indian crew member remains in critical condition.
Ukraine’s navy alleged that Russian forces launched three cruise missiles at the vessel on Sunday evening. The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reported the total death toll as ten, including a Ukrainian pilot.
In related diplomatic developments, the United Kingdom’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that British support for Ukraine would remain unchanged under his leadership. Zelensky confirmed the call and thanked Burnham for reaffirming assistance.
North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov held a third strategic dialogue in Moscow, concluding that they had reached consensus on all discussed issues and reaffirmed their comprehensive partnership treaty signed in June.
Russia also expelled two Italian diplomats, declaring them persona non grata in response to Italy’s earlier expulsion of two Russian embassy staff accused of espionage.
The International Monetary Fund approved an additional $690 million for Ukraine, bringing total disbursements under its loan programme to about $2.2 billion, as the fund highlighted the need for continued fiscal prudence amid intensified Russian attacks.