The phone call between Chinese President Xi and Ukrainian President Zelensky has alarmed the Kremlin.
Who was quick to point out that during his visit to Moscow last month,
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin a return of Ukraine to full sovereignty
over its territory
within the 1991 borders. Peskov, quoted by Russian agencies, commenting on the phone call, added: "We are ready to welcome anything that can bring the end of the conflict in Ukraine closer and Russia's achievement of all the objectives set".
On the ground, the Russian Defense Ministry raised the alarm about Zaporizhzhia.
Russian forces have set up sandbag fighting positions on the roofs of many of the six buildings housing the nuclear power plant's reactors,
writes the ministry in its daily intelligence update, publishing a satellite image of the plant taken last month.
Russia has controlled the plant since March 2022, however this is the first indication of the integration of the reactor buildings into tactical defense planning, the report posted on Twitter reads.
"It is likely that Russia has built these positions because it is increasingly concerned about the prospects of a major Ukrainian offensive", comment the London experts, underlining that this move probably increases the chances of damaging the plant's security systems in the event of fighting around to the center itself.
However, the ministry concludes, "
Also according to Ukrainian media, Russian troops are
digging trenches and fortifying the occupied territories of Ukraine
in anticipation of the expected counter-offensive by the Ukrainian armed forces.
Rbc-Ukraine, points out that
the most fortified areas are probably located in the Zaporizhzhia region
and to the "gate" of the Crimea.
Satellite images analyzed by the Ukrainian media indicate that the Russian military has started digging trenches after the occupation of Kherson. According to the publication, Russian defense positions are most concentrated near the front line in the southeast Zaporizhzhia region, as well as on a narrow strip of land connecting Crimea with mainland Ukraine.
Experts note that ditches have been dug south of Vasilyevka and across the entire Zaporizhzhia region along a 120-kilometre stretch of land.
“The anti-tank ditches are deep and wide enough to prevent the advance of tanks and armored personnel carriers. Then there are concrete 'dragon's teeth' that act as pyramid-shaped barricades.
ANSA Agency
Moscow attack, relations with Europe at lowest ebb
Relations with European countries are at the "lowest possible level": Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said after some of them including Moldova, Sweden and Norway expelled Russian diplomats in recent days
The Ukrainian premier, in Italy for the Rome conference, met the pope in the Vatican
.
During the hearing Denys Shmyhal
invited Francis to go to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, reported this to ANSA.
"Yes, the Holy Father has been invited again - replied the diplomat -. This invitation has already been expressed several times and certainly repeated again".
Meanwhile, NATO is receiving the balance sheet on the means supplied up to now to Ukraine.
The allies have delivered 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks to Kiev, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a meeting with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.
