News · 18 May 2026
Russia Hits Chinese Ship Before Putin-Xi Meeting
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
The timing of the strike on a ship, described by some as Chinese-owned, preceding the Putin-Xi summit by a day, could raise tensions with Beijing. Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used a drone to hit the KSL DEYANG vessel off the Ukrainian coast early Monday. The Marshall Islands-flagged ship, without cargo, was heading to Ukraine's Pivdennyi port for iron ore.
Reported by Independent · How we write briefs