Zelenskyy says Ukraine has evidence of China supplying Russia with artillery

Allegation is likely to upend already-strained relations between Kyiv and Beijing

A Ukrainian soldier fires a self-propelled howitzer toward Russian troops at an undisclosed location on the Donetsk front line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on April 17 that China is supplying artillery and gunpowder to Russia. © Reuters

April 18, 2025 01:50 JST

KYIV (Reuters) -- Ukraine has intelligence which shows China is supplying artillery and gunpowder to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday.

"We believe that Chinese representatives are engaged in the production of some weapons on the territory of Russia," he told a press conference in Kyiv. Zelenskyy did not specify whether he meant artillery systems or shells.