Russia said on Thursday that it has improved the situation on the frontline through fighting, while Ukraine stated on the same day that it has attacked Russia's air defense system over the past 24 hours, according to their latest battle reports.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that in the past 24 hours, the Russian army repelled the Ukrainian army's counterattacks in multiple directions, improved the frontline situation through fighting and destroyed multiple Ukrainian command observation posts and field ammunition depots.
The Russian air defense system intercepted two missiles from the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported 76 battles in the frontline area during the past 24 hours.
The Ukrainian Air Force and rocket and artillery units attacked one Russian air defense system and 17 personnel concentration areas.
Russia, Ukraine continue exchanging fires
As a city famous for its ice and snow tourism, Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has a rich history of cultural exchanges between China and neighboring Russia.
The Saint Sophia Cathedral, a century-old Russian building and a famous Harbin landmark, is a symbol of the long history of exchanges and welcomes visitors from home and overseas. "This city is beautiful. Our first stop was to visit this Russian church. Putin has just visited China, which means China-Russia relations will get better and cooperation broader," said Ma Li, a tourist from central China's Wuhan City. "There are so many architecture details which are connected with Russia, for example, this church. I'm impressed," said Natalia Obukhov, a professor from Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University. "I'm here for the first time and I'm really impressed by history, by new buildings, by everything I see here," said Adnan Mujezinovic, a professor from University of Sarajevo. The squares, buildings, and galleries surrounding the church also showcase Russian-style architecture. In a gallery which displays a captivating collection of Russian paintings, matryoshka dolls, and various souvenirs, Manager Chen Limei provided insightful guidance on identifying high-quality dolls. "The well painted ones have collection value. This one has a storyline. You can see the details are well drawn, the patterns are layered, the color changes are gradual, not solid, and there is the artist's signature at the bottom," Chen said. Chen proudly introduced this gallery, which contains many paintings drawn by famous artists. She said it's not just a souvenir shop, but a corner of Harbin that promotes art.
Since China and Russia resumed visa-free group travel in August last year, Russia's Economic Development Ministry expected the flow of tourists between the two countries to reach pre-epidemic levels in 2025.
Earlier this month, the five-day 8th China-Russia Expo opened in Harbin, which is expected to play a role in enhancing trade and investment between the two countries.
Harbin serves as symbol of shared history between China, Russia
