Russia's Defense Ministry on Saturday stated that its army had destroyed a Ukrainian command post and dozens of military vehicles in the border area of the Kursk region, while Ukraine claimed to have damaged several Russian ships and a natural gas drilling platform.
The Russian forces used Iskander tactical missiles to eliminate 15 command personnel of the 22nd mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army along the Kursk border, according to the Defense Ministry's latest battlefield report.
The ministry reported that Ukraine recently lost a total of 1,120 personnel and 140 pieces of equipment in the Kursk direction, including 22 tanks and 20 armored personnel carriers.
Russian forces continued to repel Ukrainian attempts to cross into Russian territory, the ministry stated.
The ministry said that the Russian air defense system had destroyed 26 Ukrainian drones over Kursk and six others over the Yaroslavl region over Friday night.
It also released footage on Saturday showing its Su-34 fighter jet dropping aerial bombs in the Kursk border area at night, targeting Ukrainian military personnel and equipment.
According to Russia's state-owned TV channel Zvezda, a video showed that a drone in Kursk had destroyed a U.S.-made mine-resistant anti-ambush vehicle of the Ukrainian army.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces reported that 72 battles took place in frontline areas on Saturday, with one-third occurring in the direction of Pokrovsk.
In addition, the Russian army carried out strikes near the border area of Sumy Oblast in Ukraine, according to the General Staff.
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reported on Saturday that the Ukrainian army destroyed a Russian military patrol boat and damaged three other ships using unmanned vehicles near the Black Sea village in western Crimea from Friday night into early Saturday.
On the same day, Ukraine's Navy spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk, said on social media that the navy, in cooperation with the Defense Intelligence, attacked a Russian-controlled natural gas drilling platform in the waters of the Black Sea.
He claimed that there were no civilians on board the platform, which was not performing its regular functions but was being used by Russia to obstruct the operation of the temporary grain corridor on the Black Sea.
The Russian side has yet to respond to the claim.
Russia destroys Ukrainian command crew in Kursk, Ukraine damages Russian ships, gas drilling platform
Chinese cities, towns and villages are putting on dazzling light and lantern shows, staging distinctive folk customs performances, and holding festive mooncake banquets in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Tuesday.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar and dates back more than a millennium. As a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, families reunite on the occasion to admire the bright full moon, light lanterns, and share the holiday pastry of mooncakes.
In the ancient city of Kaifeng of central China's Henan Province and Jinzhou City of northeast China's Liaoning Province, popular tourist attractions and landmarks are bathed in lights, promising a mesmerizing nighttime experience for local residents and tourists alike.
Beijing's famous Beihai Park, a public park and former imperial garden, is staging performances themed around bianzhong, or Chinese chime bells which has a history of over 2,000 years.
In tourist towns and villages of Yunnan Province in the southwest, Zhejiang Province in th east and Guangdong Province in the south, lively folk and dragon dances are gathering numerous locals and tourists to join in the festivities.
Audiences are enjoying a poetry recitation show in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, and a symphony in Zunyi City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, respectively.
This year, Suining City in southwest China's Sichuan Province and Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest, have both prepared giant freshly made mooncakes enough to treat hundreds of people at a same time. And in a village of the southwestern Chongqing Municipality, people have prepared their own mooncakes on a flour ground from their newly harvested red sorghum.
"We are filled with the joy of harvest during the merry traditional festival. The festive mood is really nice," said Liu Ya, a local of Jiangjun Village in Chongqing's Bishan District.
Elsewhere, villages in Wuyuan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, are also celebrating their harvest of red pepper by drying them on the roofs. And another village in the eastern province of Shandong has recently held a large banquet for local households to share.
Outside the mainland, colorful lanterns are also dotting the various landmarks, streets and alleyways of Hong Kong and Macao, adding to the festive joy.
Celebrations held across China to mark traditional Mid-Autumn Festival
