Three Chinese Nationals Wounded in Major Ukrainian Drone Attack on Moscow

At least three Chinese nationals have been wounded in a major Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow, Chinese state media announced this morning.

The attacks were carried out over Sunday night and Monday morning and included 400 drones, targeting the Russian capital and its surrounding region. Moscow Regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said 10 people were injured in total, including the three Chinese citizens [2].

The Chinese Embassy in Russia confirmed that two of the injured are receiving treatment at local hospitals with stable conditions and no life-threatening injuries, while the third person has been discharged and returned to China for further treatment [3][5]. The embassy immediately activated its emergency response mechanism and asked Russian authorities to take all necessary measures to protect Chinese citizens [3].

Separately, India confirmed four casualties among its nationals in a Russian attack on the Golden Leo — a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria — leaving the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa. Ukraine said Russia hit the vessel with three cruise missiles on Sunday [1].

This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham shortly after Burnham took office yesterday in London. Burnham replaced Sir Keir Starmer in No 10 and promised Zelensky that Britain's support for Ukraine would remain unchanged under his leadership [1][7].

Burnham also spoke with US President Donald Trump in one of his first calls as PM. Trump said the call "went very well" and he appreciated Burnham's commitment to Ukraine support [7].

Russia expelled two Italian diplomats, declaring them persona non grata as a reciprocal measure to Italy's expulsion of two Russian embassy staff allegedly involved in espionage. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome expelled two military attachés from the Russian embassy on July 9 [1].

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Vittorio Parrella, assistant defence attaché at the Italian embassy, and Davide D'Aprile, an attaché, must leave Russia with their families within three days [1].

The IMF approved $690 million for Ukraine after completing a review of its financing arrangement, bringing total disbursements under the $8.1 billion programme to about $2.2 billion. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said maintaining macroeconomic stability remained Ukraine's immediate priority [1].

Thousands of angry protesters in Ukraine have taken to the streets, triggering the largest protests since Russia's 2022 invasion. Protesters demand dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and reappointment of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was removed last week [1].

A poll showed 61% of Ukrainians oppose Fedorov's dismissal. Zelensky met five generals and one colonel, viewed as potential replacements for Syrskyi, to discuss the battlefield situation as fighting rages along more than 1,200 km of the frontline [1].

North Korea's foreign minister Choe Son Hui and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov held their third strategic dialogue in Moscow, reaching consensus on implementing their comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed in June 2024. Russia expressed full support for North Korean measures against hostile acts, while North Korea expressed support for Russian policies on Ukraine [1].