Russia said on Saturday that its forces had attacked Ukraine's deployment points for foreign mercenaries, while Ukraine claimed to hold ground on the frontlines over the past 24 hours.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday that the Russian military hit targets such as Ukrainian electronic warfare base stations, and deployment points for foreign mercenaries. In addition, the Russian air defense forces intercepted a number of Ukrainian missiles, aerial bombs and drones.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces issued a battle report saying that the Ukrainian army held their ground on the frontlines and took all necessary measures to weaken the Russian offensive. The Ukrainian military carried out strikes on concentrations of Russian personnel and infrastructure, and shot down a Russian SU-25 fighter jet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the production of Russian military enterprises has increased significantly during the special military operations at a meeting with heads of the Russian defense industry enterprises on Saturday.
Putin said that most companies have been completing defense orders on time, and many companies are even ahead of schedule.
He stressed that the Russian weapons and equipment should always be ahead of Russia's enemies, and it is necessary to continue to increase the supply of modern weapons such as drones, electronic warfare equipment and precision-guided weapons.
Putin also noted the importance of focusing on the economic development of the armed forces, so that every ruble of the state can effectively play a role.
Russia attacks Ukraine's foreign mercenaries deployment points, Ukraine holds frontline ground
The Macao Special Administrative Region is aiming to attract more international visitors after winning the title of "Culture City of East Asia 2025", with the city setting its sights on becoming a major global tourism destination.
Though the award was unveiled earlier this month, the formal announcement of the designation will take place in September, when the 15th Trilateral Cultural Ministers' Meeting will be held in Japan.
As a unique destination that preserves a multi-cultural heritage, a full calendar of festivals, and a wide array of delights to suit all tastes, Macao is already a popular choice for many travelers.
"The people are very easygoing and friendly. The food is also very good," said Zhang Naiyue, a visitor from the Chinese mainland.
One of the must-see spots is an area known as "the Historic Center of Macao", which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005 and features over 20 monuments and urban squares in the heart of the city.
"It's a very nice city, very welcoming. So far, the people are super friendly with me. It's very nice with a lot of history as well," said Delfim Ribeiro, a tourist from Portugal.
In the first five months of this year, over 14 million tourist arrivals were recorded in Macao, a 50-percent year-on-year increase, and after being confirmed as a Culture City of East Asia, the regional government is now aiming to entice even more visitors from all around the world.
"This year the target is for 33 million, so we hope that going forwards we will be able to attract obviously more visitors, but the most important part is not only attracting our Greater China visitors. I would say we have an objective to attract more international visitors to make Macao really what we call a world center of tourism and leisure," said Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of Macao Government Tourism Office.
Following the challenges of the pandemic, Macao is looking to maintain its steady rate of recovery in the tourism sector and hopes that next year will see a return to the previous peaks.
"This year, our aim for international visitors is over two million, which is still a little bit away from what we used to have - three million back in 2019. But we hope that by 2025, the numbers of international visitors will get back to three million," said Senna Fernandes.
The Culture City of East Asia program is an art and culture event launched by China, Japan, and South Korea. Each year, the three nations will designate either one or two cities from each country for the title, which aims to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation.
Macao aims to attract more int'l visitors after winning "Culture City of East Asia 2025"
