Army-2024 int'l military technical forum opens in Russia

The Army 2024 International Military and Technical Forum opened in the Patriot Exhibition Center in Moscow region, Russia, on Monday.

Delivering a video speech to the opening ceremony of the forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the forum's agenda includes grand-scale presentations of the most advanced and largely unique achievements of Russia's defense manufacturers and its leading, internationally acclaimed corporations. This includes over 240 export versions of weapons, as well as all kinds of military and specialized hardware.

Putin said Russia is committed to developing partnerships with all participant of the forum to jointly build a multipolar world.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov addressed the opening ceremony, saying that it is U.S. hegemonic mindset that leads to the special military action, and Russia is engaged in armed confrontation with the West.

Hosted by the Russian Defense Ministry, the three-day forum attracts delegations from 83 countries and regions, and over 120 foreign companies registered to participate.

In addition to weapons, military, and specialized equipment, the forum features more than 20,000 products used for both military and civilian purposes, showcased by over 1,000 Russian and foreign companies.

Army-2024 int'l military technical forum opens in Russia

Army-2024 int'l military technical forum opens in Russia

Russia claimed on Thursday that its air forces and artillery forces have attacked airport infrastructure and energy facilities used to support operations of Ukrainian troops over the past 24 hours, while the Ukrainian side said that multiple battles are still lingering on between the two sides.

Russian air defense forces have shot down 59 drones over the past day, the country's Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Russian forces said that they continued to rout Ukrainian army troops in west Russia's Kursk Oblast bordering Ukraine, as it has recaptured 10 settlements from the hands of Ukrainian troops in the region.

On the same day, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces issued a report claiming that by Thursday afternoon, there had been 79 battles on frontlines, most of which took place in the directions of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, both in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

Multiple battles are still going on, the Ukrainian military said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia had begun "counter-offensive actions [in Kursk], which is going in line with our Ukrainian plan".

Russia claims hitting Ukraine's energy facilities, Ukraine reports 79 battles on frontlines