Russia reports advances in Pokrovsk while Ukraine claims to repel Russian attacks

Russia said on Sunday that its armed forces had advanced in Pokrovsk, while Ukraine claimed to have repelled Russian attacks on the same day.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, its forces conducted operations in multiple directions, including Sumy and Kharkiv, striking targets in 143 areas in Ukraine. These targets included Ukrainian military-industrial complexes, fuel depots, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries. The Russian air defense system also shot down 230 fixed-wing drones.

In Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Russian troops continued to advance into the eastern and northwestern areas of the city, repelling 10 breakout attacks initiated by Ukrainian forces.

Also on Sunday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that 271 battles occurred in the frontline areas, with Ukrainian forces repelling Russian attacks in multiple directions. The Ukrainian Air Force, missile troops, and artillery targeted four areas where Russian troops were gathered and two artillery systems.

Ukrainian President Zelensky on Sunday mentioned on social media that this week, Russian forces have used around 1,400 drones, 1,100 guided aerial bombs, and 66 missiles against Ukrainians.

In another development, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Sunday condemned recent Ukrainian attacks on two oil tankers and a port in the Black Sea, denouncing those who planned and carried out the strikes.

According to a statement released by the ministry, Zakharova said the two tankers sailing under the Gambian flag and en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk were attacked by unmanned surface vessels on Friday and Saturday. The port of Novorossiysk also came under attack on Saturday.

She added that Ukrainian intelligence services had claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The targeted civilian energy infrastructure plays a vital role in ensuring global energy security and has never been subject to any international restrictions or sanctions, the spokesperson said, adding that these attacks jeopardized the safety of navigation in this vital waterway.

Russia also calls on the international community to condemn these attacks and give a proper assessment of the destructive actions, Zakharova said.

Russia reports advances in Pokrovsk while Ukraine claims to repel Russian attacks

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday presided over a State Council executive meeting which studied further arrangements on energy conservation and carbon reduction, and heard a report on a special campaign on business-related administrative law enforcement.

The meeting also reviewed and approved a draft regulation on administrative law enforcement oversight, discussed a draft law on firefighters, and arranged work for a crackdown on tobacco-related illegal activities.

The meeting emphasized the need to ensure higher-standard and better-quality work in the fields of energy conservation and carbon reduction -- work which must be advanced with greater overall planning efforts and in light of local conditions.

To that end, the meeting called for efforts to maximize the impact of policies, continuously improve market mechanisms, and accelerate the transition to green production and green lifestyles.

A special campaign on regulating business-related administrative law enforcement this year has achieved positive results, the meeting noted, underlining further efforts to enhance the standardization of administrative law enforcement.

By drafting and implementing the regulation on administrative law enforcement oversight, the boundaries and responsibilities of law enforcement authorities will be clarified further, and administrative power will be upheld consistently within a legal framework, it said.

It discussed and approved in principle a draft law on firefighters, which will be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation.

It is imperative that the institutional arrangements for the country's firefighting force are improved, making it more standardized and professional, the meeting said, stressing the need to consolidate fire safety management, and to resolutely prevent and curb serious or major fire accidents.

Work will also be done to crack down strictly on tobacco-related illegal activities, strengthen supervision and law enforcement across all links, and improve the tobacco market environment, according to the meeting.

Chinese premier chairs meeting on carbon reduction, administrative law enforcement