KYIV (AFP) -- Ukraine claimed on Tuesday it had downed an entire barrage of Russian drones and missiles overnight -- including six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles -- hours ahead of a visit from China’s special envoy.
The wave of strikes came just over a week after Kyiv announced it had shot down a Kinzhal nuclear-capable hypersonic missile for the first time, using U.S.-supplied Patriot systems.
The defense ministry said Ukrainian air defense systems had knocked out a total of 18 missiles, including types the Kremlin had touted as “ideal”, as well as nine drones.
Three people were injured in Kyiv and some rocket fragments fell on the capital’s zoo, but neither staff nor animals were hurt, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.
Russia said all the targets assigned by its military had been hit.
China’s special envoy, Li Hui, was expected to arrive in Kyiv for a two-day visit as part of a European tour to promote Beijing-led peace negotiations on the war in Ukraine.
A senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ukrainian authorities planned to further discuss Kyiv’s stance on the conflict and China’s peace mission.
“Ending the war with a compromise at the expense of Ukraine will not work.”
Li would become the highest-ranking Chinese diplomat to visit the war-torn country since Moscow’s invasion last year. His trip came three weeks after Zelensky spoke by telephone to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Beijing has said the aim of the tour is to “communicate with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis”.
Li’s visit follows hot on the heels of Zelensky’s whirlwind tour of major European capitals to urge Ukraine’s allies to increase military support.
His tour to shore up military assistance to help make his troops more battle-ready began in Italy, with weekend visits to France and Germany, followed by a stop in the UK.
But Zelensky has yet to succeed in his goal of enlisting Western fighter jets to seize command of the skies, although UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Monday preparations to open a flight school to train Ukrainian pilots.
France, too, has offered to train Ukrainian fighter pilots, although President Emmanuel Macron ruled out sending warplanes to Kyiv.
Nevertheless, Zelensky said late on Monday he was “returning home with new defense packages”.
On the front line, fighting has picked up in the eastern Donetsk region, in particular for the battle-scarred city of Bakhmut.
In recent days, Ukraine has been posting its first gains around the city in weeks and the head of Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group has blasted the performance of Moscow’s regular troops around the key city.