Ukraine’s government says one person was killed and 23 others wounded after Russia’s Navy launched four missiles from the Black Sea, striking residences in the city of Mykolaiv. Elsewhere, a Ukrainian journalist working for the Italian La Repubblica newspaper was shot dead Wednesday on the outskirts of Kherson in southern Ukraine. The newspaper reports Russian snipers killed Bogdan Bitik, who was working as an interpreter, and wounded Italian reporter Corrado Zunino. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 15 journalists have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held his first talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. China’s Foreign Ministry said after the call it would dispatch former Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui as a special envoy to Kyiv to find a political settlement to the war.

Yu Jun: “China always stood on the side of peace on the Ukraine issue. China advocates political settlement of the crisis and promotes talks for peace.”

Officials with both NATO and Russia welcomed Wednesday’s phone call, but NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg criticized China for not condemning Russia’s invasion.