Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China next week for a two-day visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
The visit, scheduled for May 19-20, comes just a day after US President Donald Trump concluded his state visit to Beijing, where he also held talks with Xi on trade and the ongoing war involving the US, Israel and Iran.
According to the Kremlin, Putin’s trip marks the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral ties, economic cooperation and major regional and international issues.
Relations between China and Russia have grown closer in recent years, especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western sanctions pushed Moscow to rely more heavily on Beijing for trade and economic support.
During Putin’s last visit to China in September 2025, Xi described him as an “old friend,” while Putin referred to Xi as his “dear friend.”
Putin is also expected to return to China in November to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said on Saturday that Russia had returned the bodies of 528 soldiers believed to be Ukrainian troops.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said experts would work to identify the remains.
The handover came a day after Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the exchange was the first stage of a larger deal involving 1,000 prisoners from each side. He said some of the released Ukrainians had been held since 2022 and had fought in some of the war’s toughest battles.
At the same time, Russia launched overnight drone attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, local authorities said.
Regional governor Oleh Kiper said the strikes hit a five-storey apartment building and a single-storey home, injuring two people. Odesa’s port facilities were also damaged.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 294 drones overnight, of which 269 were shot down.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces intercepted 138 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions, including Moscow. It also said drones were downed over Crimea and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.