China has pledged to deepen cooperation with Russia as US President Joe Biden prepared to meet leaders of NATO's eastern flank.
The move comes amid rising geopolitical tensions ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia is due to begin military exercises with China in South Africa on Friday and has sent a flagship frigate equipped with new generation hypersonic cruise missiles.
A Russian officer said today that Russia would fire artillery, but not the missiles, whose speed makes them difficult to shoot down.
Making the highest level visit to Russia by a Chinese official since the countries signed a "no limits" partnership weeks before the invasion, China's top diplomat Wang Li told President Vladimir Putin that Beijing was ready to enhance ties.
A time of crisis required Russia and China "to continuously deepen our comprehensive strategic partnership", Mr Wang said.
Mr Putin said he was looking forward to a visit to Moscow by Chinese President Xi Jinping and a deeper partnership.
Mr Xi is expected to make a "peace speech" on Friday. Kyiv says there can be no talk of peace with Russian troops in Ukraine.
"This unprovoked and criminal Russian war against Ukraine, Europe and the democratic world must end with the cleansing of the entire Ukrainian land from Russian occupation and solid guarantees of the long-term security for our state, the whole of Europe and the entire world," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
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Fighting
Russia suffered three major battlefield reverses in Ukraine last year but still controls around a fifth of the country and appears to be making progress in eastern provinces.
Near Bakhmut city, the focal point of Russian advances in the eastern region of Donetsk, 18 towns and villages came under fire, the Ukrainian military said late yesterday.
The Russian defence ministry said its troops had made a 2.5km advance towards Bakhmut, seen by the Kremlin as a main staging post in capturing other towns further west in Donetsk.
"It is very important that despite great pressure on our forces, the front line has undergone no change," Mr Zelensky said in a video address.
Outspoken Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin chastised Russian military leaders, accusing them of depriving his Wagner fighters of munitions in what he called a treasonous attempt to destroy his military company.
The defence ministry rejected his accusation about blocking ammunition as "absolutely untrue". Reuters was not able to verify battlefield reports.
The biggest land war in Europe since World War II has displaced millions, left Ukrainian cities, towns and villages in ruins and disrupted the global economy.
More than 8,000 civilians have been recorded killed, the UN human rights office said, adding thousands more were thought to have died.
Additional reporting AFP/Reuters
How does the war in Ukraine end?
