Chinese nationals detained over alleged Neptune missile spying in Ukraine

Ukraine has detained a Chinese national and his son, both accused of gathering intelligence on Kyiv’s Neptune missile initiative. Counterintelligence agents arrested a 24-year-old former Kyiv student after he allegedly received "technical details" concerning Neptune production, according to Ukraine’s SBU. The agency stated they later apprehended his father when he arrived from China to oversee his son’s activities and attempt to transfer the materials to Chinese intelligence.

A Ukrainian official informed Reuters that the two arrests marked the first involving Chinese citizens since Russia’s full-scale offensive in 2022. Kyiv has frequently alleged that China provides components and technology critical to Russia’s military operations, though Beijing denies such claims. The Chinese embassy in Kyiv did not reply to Reuters’ inquiries, and no legal representation for the detained individuals was immediately identified.

According to U.S. officials, artillery shells and rocket missiles were recently dispatched to Ukraine after a temporary halt. The officials, who spoke anonymously, confirmed the delivery included 155mm shells and guided multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS). The paused shipment last week comprised 30 Patriot missiles, over 8,500 artillery shells, more than 250 precision MLRS missiles, and 142 Hellfire missiles.

Early Thursday, Kyiv faced renewed strikes as air defenses intercepted Russian drones. One struck an apartment building in the city center, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, with debris scattered across multiple districts. Witnesses reported loud explosions.

On Wednesday, Russia launched its largest missile and drone assault in over three years of conflict—an intensifying pattern of escalation. Lutsk, in western Ukraine, was a key target due to its military airfield and infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 711 of 728 drones and seven of 13 missiles, crediting newly deployed Ukrainian drones for bolstering defenses.

In the southern Kherson region, a one-year-old boy was killed in a strike on Pravdyne village, authorities confirmed. Reports indicate he and his grandmother were struck by a drone in their yard, with the latter severely wounded. Prosecutors stated Russian attacks in Donetsk killed eight civilians Wednesday, releasing images of two victims burned in their car after a drone strike.