Russia Asks China For Military Food Kits As War With Ukraine Drags On: Report

Russia has reportedly asked China for military food assistance amid the war with Ukraine, a new report revealed. Analysts said the request could indicate that Russia is facing challenges in logistics as officials from the two warring countries seek to find a breakthrough in negotiations.

Two unnamed sources told CNN that Russia requested pre-packed, non-perishable food kits for its military. The said kits are known as MREs or “meal, ready-to-eat” packaged food in the United States. One of the sources indicated that the request could be something China will be willing to grant instead of providing weaponry. The International Business Times could not independently confirm these claims.

It is unclear whether China will actually provide military food aid to Russia, according to CNN. Open source reports further showed that Russian forces have broken into grocery stores during the invasion, suggesting a potential logistics challenge as the war continues, the outlet added.

The report came a day after an unidentified U.S. official revealed that the Kremlin asked Beijing primarily for financial assistance for its troops, CBS News reported. The official told CBS that while Russia requested primarily for military financial assistance, the country reportedly inquired about drones. The official said the Russian military appears to have not anticipated the use of drones from both sides. Ukrainian forces have used Turkish-made TB2 drones in the conflict, a senior defense official said during a Monday briefing.

Russia still retains a military advantage over Ukraine, but the country’s military has also been met with hardware losses after Ukrainian forces destroyed some of its vehicles, helicopters and warplanes, experts said, Politico reported. Some analysts also suggested that Russia’s move of seeking assistance from China may indicate internal assessments that the Russian military needs to stockpile equipment further so it can sustain the upper hand in battle.

Meanwhile, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are expected to continue Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, Associated Press reported. Zelensky said in a video message that Ukraine’s delegation did well during Monday’s talks but he did not provide further details on whether any deal was reached between the two sides.

An unnamed official who has been taking part in the negotiations said the main objectives of Ukraine for Tuesday’s talks included a cease-fire, CNBC reported. Furthermore, Ukraine will attempt to secure the immediate withdrawal of the Russian military from the country, the official said.