Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that Ukrainian intelligence has identified troubling links between Chinese satellite activity and Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, raising fresh concerns about Beijing's support for Russia's war effort.

Zelenskyy revealed the assessment on Telegram following a briefing from Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, according to the state news agency Ukrinform. 

He said Kyiv's intelligence has "recorded increased ties between Russia and entities in China that may be providing space-based intelligence data" and noted correlations between Chinese satellite imaging of Ukrainian territory and Russian strikes on energy facilities.

Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine views the activity as a form of assistance that helps Russia sustain its war and undermines diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.

He said Ukraine plans to raise the issue with international partners, pressing for a coordinated response.

The Ukrainian leader also addressed intelligence on the deployment of Russia's Oreshnik weapons systems in neighboring Belarus, saying Kyiv has obtained new details and urging Western partners to factor the development into defense planning. 

Oreshnik is a mobile long-range strike system that Ukraine's military has said could extend the reach of precision strikes from Belarusian territory.

"We believe that the aggressive proliferation of such weapons poses a global threat and creates a dangerous precedent," Zelenskyy said, describing Russia's moves as destabilizing and requiring broader allied awareness and a coordinated response.

In a separate strand of the briefing, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of evading international sanctions on its energy sector through complex legal maneuvers. 

He said Russian energy companies are attempting to circumvent sanctions regimes by using temporary owners and fictitious corporate structures, adding that Ukrainian intelligence is tracking the schemes. 

Zelenskyy said Kyiv will work with partners to ensure sanctions pressure remains effective and to prevent Russia from financing its war through such loopholes.

Zelenskyy's remarks come amid continued Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid, which have inflicted repeated damage and caused widespread outages across multiple regions, including during recent winter strikes.

On Tuesday, Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault involving more than 650 drones and dozens of missiles that killed at least three civilians, including a 4-year-old, and cut power to large swaths of the country as subzero temperatures set in.

Those strikes are part of a monthslong campaign targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and logistics nodes as Moscow seeks to degrade Kyiv's resilience during the winter and weaken Western resolve.

The Ukrainian president also said this week that Kyiv plans to adopt additional sanctions by year's end, targeting Russian entities and individuals who facilitate the war — with measures potentially applying to citizens of other countries, including China.

Beijing has repeatedly denied any direct involvement in Russia's war effort, insisting its ties with Moscow are normal bilateral relations and rejecting accusations that it provides battlefield intelligence or assistance for military operations. 

Chinese officials have traditionally refrained from commenting on specific allegations, while emphasizing respect for international law and peaceful cooperation.

Analysts note that China's expanding space capabilities include a large constellation of satellites used for navigation and Earth observation, which could be exploited for dual-use military purposes if shared, intentionally or indirectly, by commercial or state entities.

The developments add a new dimension to the nearly four-year conflict as Kyiv seeks to persuade its allies that Moscow's access to space-based intelligence — whether from Russian or foreign assets — may be shaping battlefield outcomes and targeting decisions.

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