China is providing Russia with lethal aid for use in its war against Ukraine, Grant Shapps has warned.

The defence secretary suggested that British and US intelligence contradicts Beijing’s previous attempts to present itself as a moderating influence on Moscow and President Xi’s government is instead helping to arm Russia.

Mr Shapps used a speech at the London Defence Conference to reveal China’s collaboration as he argued Nato needs to “wake up” and bolster defence spending alliance-wide.

The Kremlin has said that it will retaliate against Norway’s decision to further restrict entry to Russian tourists, effectively banning all of them, describing it as “discriminatory.”

“Of course, such decisions cannot go unanswered. Of course, the decision is purely discriminatory,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

“We do not accept such decisions. We regret that the Norwegian leadership has chosen this way of worsening our bilateral relations, which have already been of poor quality recently, and not on our initiative.”

Russian citizens whose purpose is tourism and other non-essential travel will be rejected upon entry across the external border. Exceptions may be granted in cases such as visits to close family residing in Norway, the ministry said.

Ukrainian prisoners have been sent to the frontline in a move intended to bolster the country’s defences against Vladimir Putin.

The convicts, who applied for mobilisation, have been released on conditional early release to serve in Ukraine’s armed forces.

“The first convicts received conditional early release to serve in the Ukrainian Defense Forces. They were convicted of theft, but voluntarily applied for mobilization.

“They have the necessary level of physical fitness and have successfully passed the professional and psychological selection.

This is not only a new chance for them, but also a significant step towards strengthening our country’s defense capabilities,” Olena Shuliak, head of Zelensky’s party said.

A Russian attack on Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv killed two people and injured at least seven, local authorities said on Thursday.

The attack damaged transport and municipal infrastructure as well as a printing business, causing a fire, the mayor of Kharkiv and the region’s governor said.

Governor Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces struck Kharkiv around 10 times. The attack also targeted Zolochiv and Liubotyn in the Kharkiv region, injuring at least two people in each town, he said.

The Russian forces used a guided bomb to attack Zolochiv, damaging a private residence and civilian infrastructure, according to preliminary information from Kharkiv’s regional police on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine has claimed it destroyed the last Russian warship armed with cruise missiles that was stationed on the occupied peninsula of Crimea.

“According to updated information, the Ukrainian defence forces hit a Russian project 22800 Tsiklon missile ship in Sevastopol, on the night of 19 May,” the general staff said today.

The Ukrainian navy later said on X that the vessel had been “destroyed”.

US president Joe Biden is being urged to allow American missiles used by Ukraine to be fired into Russian territory, according to officials.

The proposal, pressed by US secretary of state Antony Blinken after a visit to Kyiv last week, is being debated by the White House, the New York Times reported.

Mr Blinken’s pespective is said to have changed since Moscow opened up a new front in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, which is stretching Kyiv’s forces across the frontline.

Russian tourists trying to visit Norway will be rejected upon entry from the end of this month in a move, the country’s government announced.

Oslo tightened visa practices in the spring of 2022, after which tourist visas for Russians were largely not issued. The country also restricted entry to Russian cars in September 2023.

Russian citizens arriving in Norway for tourism and “other non-essential travel” will be rejected upon entry across the external border starting 29 May, the government said.

The ban applies both to Russians who managed to get a Norwegian tourist visa and to visas issued by other Schengen countries.

The United States has questioned Britain’s claim that China was providing “lethal aid” to help with Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

US security advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington had not seen evidence of weapon transfers after UK defence secretary Grant Shapps made the claim on Wednesday.

“We have not seen that to date. I look forward to speaking with the UK to make sure that we have a common operating picture,” Mr Sullivan said.

Previously, Mr Shapps said: “Today I can reveal that we have evidence that Russia and China are collaborating on combat equipment for use in Ukraine.”

China is providing Russia with lethal aid for use in its war against Ukraine, Grant Shapps has warned.

The defence secretary suggested that British and US intelligence contradicts Beijing’s previous attempts to present itself as a moderating influence on Moscow and president Xi’s government is instead helping to arm Russia.

Mr Shapps used a speech at the London Defence Conference to reveal China’s collaboration as he argued Nato needs to “wake up” and bolster defence spending alliance-wide.