President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan will host a banquet at the Sun Island Hotel in Harbin of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province Friday noon to welcome distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games.
Among the guests expected to attend the opening ceremony are Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.
The 9th Asian Winter Games, scheduled for Feb 7-14, will bring together more than 1,270 athletes from 34 countries and regions, making it the largest edition in terms of participating delegations and athletes.
The opening ceremony of the Games is to unfold on Friday night.
Xi, his wife to host Asian Winter Games banquet
Russia's Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that its forces conducted strikes against various Ukrainian military targets over the past day, while Ukraine's General Staff reported hitting Russian personnel and equipment concentrations, and an oil depot within Russia.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian forces targeted industrial, energy, and transportation infrastructure used by Ukrainian troops, as well as storage facilities for unmanned boats and long-range drones. Strikes also hit temporary deployment points for Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 152 areas.
Russian air defense systems shot down 12 guided aerial bombs and 259 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated on the same day that 173 combat engagements occurred along the front lines. Ukrainian forces attacked multiple Russian personnel and equipment concentration areas, drone control points, and shot down 2,014 Russian drones.
Additionally, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council reported on Saturday that an oil depot and an oil pumping station within Russian territory were struck by Ukrainian forces in the early hours of the day.
The Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin began on Saturday afternoon and will continue until Sunday midnight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday an Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine, set to run from 16:00 on April 11 till the end of the day on April 12, the Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Ukraine is ready for "symmetrical steps" if Russia adheres to an Orthodox Easter ceasefire.
Russia claims striking on Ukrainian targets, Ukraine reports hitting Russian oil depot
