Russia again attacked targets in Ukraine with dozens of combat drones on Friday, just a day after a similar, massive night-time drone attack.Anti-aircraft fire could be heard in Kiev in the evening. Warnings were also issued in southern Ukraine of drone attacks from the Black Sea.

A top Chinese diplomat told his European counterpart that his country needs Russia to keep fighting in Ukraine to distract the United States from focusing on Beijing, Hong Kong's paper of record reported last week.

Beijing confesses that it fears Washington will forget about Putin and go all out against the Asian giant. The balance between neutrality in the war in Ukraine and the partnership with Putin had been the prevailing script embraced by Chinese diplomats.