China urges dialogue as Russia, Ukraine exchange large-scale missile, drone attacks

China on Monday reiterated its call for dialogue and negotiations after Russia and Ukraine exchanged large-scale missile and drone attacks overnight, causing casualties and damage on both sides.

Responding to a question from Ukraine's Ukrinform news agency about Russian strikes on Kyiv, including reported damage to the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing's position remained unchanged.

"China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. Dialogue is the only viable way out of the crisis," Lin told a regular press briefing.

The comments came after Russia and Ukraine reported major attacks overnight.

Three civilians were killed and three others injured, including a one-year-old child, in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Tula region, Governor Dmitry Milyaev said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 123 Ukrainian drones across several regions, including Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Crimea and the Moscow region.

Moscow also said it carried out a "massive strike" using long-range precision weapons and drones against Ukrainian defense-industrial facilities, military airfields and recruitment centers in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched more than 70 missiles and 611 drones across the country, including more than 60 missiles targeting Kyiv overnight.

Ukrainian authorities reported damage to civilian and cultural sites, including the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, the Dovzhenko Film Studio and an automated parcel-sorting terminal operated by delivery company Nova Poshta.

The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, claimed the damage to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was caused by a Ukrainian Patriot air defense missile, an assertion that could not be independently verified.

The reported casualty figures, number of missiles and drones launched, and extent of the damage on both sides could not be independently confirmed.