PUTIN IN BEIJING: Russia Downs 780 Drones, 900+ Ukrainian Soldiers In One Day Putin-Xi Talks | China

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:01][music] [music] >> Russia says it intercepted a massive wave of 780 Ukrainian drones in just 24 hours, one of the biggest UAV attack figures cited by Moscow in recent months.

[00:00:40]As President Vladimir Putin held high-level strategic talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

[00:00:48]The timing of the attacks has become central to Moscow's messaging with Russian officials portraying the drone offensive as a direct escalation by Kyiv during a crucial geopolitical moment [music] for Russia-China ties.

[00:01:04]Even as Putin received a red-carpet welcome in Beijing, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces inflicted nearly 990 Ukrainian troop casualties across multiple front lines.

[00:01:17]Moscow said Russian troops destroyed a German-made Gepard anti-aircraft system, a Leopard tank, and several NATO-supplied artillery systems including US-made M777 howitzers and a Paladin self-propelled artillery system.

[00:01:34]The Ministry also claimed Russian forces struck Ukrainian drone assembly workshops, ammunition depots, fuel infrastructure, and temporary deployment points of foreign mercenaries in 143 locations.

[00:01:53]Air defense capabilities shot down four guided aerial bombs and 780 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

[00:02:02]The battlefield developments unfolded alongside a strong display of Russia-China strategic coordination.

[00:02:09]During talks in Beijing, Xi Jinping described ties with Moscow as a force of calm amid chaos, while both leaders jointly criticized what they called unilateral Western dominance and the proposed US Golden Dome missile shield.

[00:02:29]For Moscow, the message was clear.

[00:02:32]Despite one of the largest Ukrainian drone offensives of the war, Russia is projecting battlefield resilience, deepening geopolitical backing from China, and signaling that NATO-backed pressure will not alter the broader strategic trajectory of the conflict.

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