Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he received a briefing from the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Ivashchenko, including how Russia is targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure using Chinese satellite images.
Zelensky said key topics included Russia’s attempts to evade sanctions through sham schemes and “temporary owners,” as well as international links of Russia’s defense-industrial complex.
According to Zelensky, Ukrainian intelligence is seeing increased contacts between Russia and entities in China that could provide space-based reconnaissance data. In several cases, officials observed a clear connection between imaging of Ukrainian territory by Chinese satellites and subsequent Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.
“In particular, we are recording increased links between Russia and entities in China that could provide space reconnaissance data. Unfortunately, there were correlations between Chinese satellite imaging of Ukrainian territory and Russian strikes on corresponding energy facilities. We consider such cases activities that enable Russia to prolong the war and make approaches to diplomacy less serious,” Zelensky said.
Kyiv views such episodes as activity that helps Russia continue the war and undermines diplomatic efforts.
Zelensky said that if a state or affiliated entities are indeed giving Russia intelligence that is then used to plan strikes on energy facilities, that amounts to direct participation in the war and in Russia’s war crimes, with ordinary people paying the price — electricity, heat, hospitals, water supply.
Another topic in the briefing was the deployment in Belarus of “Oreshnik” systems and the need for Ukraine’s partners to factor this into their defensive steps.
Zelensky said Ukraine will work with partners to ensure sanctions pressure is effective and that Russia cannot profit from the war through manipulation. Kyiv also plans to raise with allies the issue of potential assistance to Russia via Chinese satellite data.
