Ukraine says it has evidence China supplying Russia with artillery

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo via Reuters

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine has intelligence which shows China is supplying artillery and gunpowder to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 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. Zelenskiy did not specify whether he meant artillery systems or shells.

The allegation is likely to upend relations between Kyiv and Beijing, already strained by Ukraine's making public its capture of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia. China has so far tried to maintain an outward perception of neutrality in the three-year war prompted by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine has previously called on China to use its influence over Russia to push it towards peace.

"We already have facts about this work by China and Russia to strengthen their defence capabilities," Zelenskiy said, voicing his dismay as he said Chinese President Xi Jinping had promised him Beijing would not sell or supply weapons to Moscow.

 (Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; writing by Max Hunder; editing by Jane Merriman and Mark Heinrich)