Russia has asked China for its support war against ukraineAccording to US officials. The request included military aid and equipment, but it is not clear what specifically Moscow requested.

A US official told CBS News Monday that the Kremlin’s request to Beijing is primarily about financial assistance, but that Russia has also inquired about the drones. It seems that the Russians did not expect that they or Ukraine would deploy drones in this conflict, which is one reason why they are asking China about them, according to the US official.

A senior defense official briefed on the background on Monday that the Ukrainians are using drones, especially Turkish-made TP2 drones, very effectively. Drones are used for reconnaissance as well as strikes and have been particularly effective against Russian ground moves.

According to the official, Ukrainians still have a large majority of the UAV inventory. The United States is in talks with allies and partners that have useful capabilities the United States does not have about getting more of these weapons to the Ukrainians.

Nearly three weeks after its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has fallen far short of the progress Russian leaders expected, according to defense and intelligence officials. CIA Director William Burns told Congress last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin relied on “the capture of Kyiv during the first two days of the campaign.”

US officials say Russian casualties range from 5,000 to 9,000 killed in the fighting.

At this point, the Kremlin committed 100% of more than 150,000 soldiers It had already organized around the borders of Ukraine before its invasion. Despite the large numbers, Russian advances into Kyiv from three separate directions made slow progress toward the Ukrainian capital, with days when troops remained on hold and remained targets for the Ukrainians.

The slow progress may have prompted Russia to seek China’s help.

According to the latest Pentagon Chinese military power In the report, China’s military purchases from Russia include combat aircraft and surface-to-air missiles, and it has participated in exercises in Russia using Russian equipment.

China denied that Russia had requested military assistance for its war with Ukraine.

“The United States is maliciously spreading disinformation targeting China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Monday in response to the report. “China’s position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear. We have played a constructive role in promoting peace talks,” he added.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also denied the news, telling reporters that Moscow had the ability to independently conduct a special military operation in Ukraine and had not asked for help from China.

“No,” Peskov told reporters when asked if it was true that Russia had asked China for military assistance. “Russia has independent capabilities to continue the process, and, as we have said, it is developing according to plan and will be completed on time and in full,” he said.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Rome on Monday to meet with Political Bureau member of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi. The National Security Council described the meeting as part of an ongoing effort to maintain open lines of communication between the two countries.

A senior administration official told reporters that the meeting between Sullivan and the Chinese diplomats “was an intense seven-hour session.”

No details were released, but the official said Sullivan was direct about the deep concerns the United States had about China’s alliance with Russia at this time and was clear about the potential consequences of some of the actions.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that actions such as providing military or other assistance to Russia would lead to dire consequences that the United States would coordinate with allies and partners.

“I think what we have and what the National Security Adviser conveyed in this meeting is that if they provide military assistance or other assistance that of course violates sanctions or supports the war effort, there will be significant consequences,” Psaki said.

Mary Ilyushina and Camila Schick contributed to this report.