Russia said on Sunday that its armed forces were advancing across the entire frontline and had secured multiple advantageous positions, while Ukraine, on the same day, confirmed that its troops withdrew from several positions in the Sumy region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces had struck Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises, as well as energy, transportation, and storage infrastructure supporting Ukrainian military units.
The strikes also targeted Ukraine's long-range drone assembly sites and temporary deployment locations of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries, the ministry said.
Also on Sunday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that due to the rapid advance of the Russian troops, Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from multiple positions near a village located on the border with Russia in Krasnopillia community of the Sumy region.
The Ukrainian troops had continued to conduct operations in the border area, inflicting losses on the Russian personnel, and the Russian forces were currently under fire from the Ukrainian forces, the Ukrainian side said.
Russia reports advancement across entire frontline, Ukraine confirms withdrawing from Sumy positions
Russia reports advancement across entire frontline, Ukraine confirms withdrawing from Sumy positions
The Mianyang base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda held a soft opening on Sunday to assess its capacity to serve 6,000 daily visitors, ahead of its scheduled official inauguration next Monday.
The new giant panda base, which has been built after three years of construction, is seated at an ecological park in Mianyang City covering an area of about 120 hectares.
The base boasts 54 sets of giant panda enclosures and is up to strict giant panda breeding standards.
According to the base, the soft opening thoroughly evaluated the ticketing system, visitor routes, venue capacity, service facilities, and emergency response protocols.
The base is now ready to open to the public, and all the giant pandas are in good condition, said its staff.
"The Mianyang base now houses 20 giant pandas of all ages, and they have adapted well. At first, some were nervous and had a reduced appetite after their arrival. However, they are improving and are as active as ever," said Huang Zhi, head of the management and operation group for the preparatory working group at the base.
Each outdoor facility for the giant pandas features a specially designed climbing structure. Constructed from reinforced concrete with a log-like design, it prioritizes safety, durability, and stability. Real logs are placed on top, creating a natural environment for the pandas.
"We do not just build the structures. We have created a livable ecosystem. Strength and durability of the architectures are not our only goals. We want to build a functional ecological space that actively promotes the natural behaviors of giant pandas. To achieve this, our team has planted 900 trees in the park and developed a 5,400-square-meter rocky landscape with realistic shapes and textures," said Feng Liang, project manager of the base.
Feng added that the base has also built colony houses for red pandas, snub-nosed monkeys, sika deer and takins.
China's new giant panda base holds soft opening ahead of inauguration
