A Russian drone hit a Chinese cargo ship in the Black Sea overnight, Ukraine said Monday, a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping. Kyiv routinely announces Russian attacks on civilian vessels near the port of Odesa — a vital maritime hub for Ukrainian agricultural exports. But Monday’s attack comes just ahead of Putin’s two-day trip to Beijing where he and Xi are set to deepen bilateral ties between the friendly nations. “Drones struck Odesa … and one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media. “The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea,” he added. A spokesman for Ukraine’s navy told AFP that none of the crew — all Chinese citizens — were wounded and that the Chinese-owned vessel continued on its journey.

Full report : Russian drone hits Chinese ship off Ukraine before Putin visits Xi Jinping.