Russia said on Tuesday that it had taken control of a settlement in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, while Ukraine reported repelling a number of Russian attacks across multiple fronts on the same day.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that Russian forces had struck Ukrainian targets in 139 areas over the previous 24 hours, including energy facilities and transport infrastructure, sites used for the assembly, storage and launch preparation of long-range drones, and also targeting temporary deployment points of Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries.
Russian air defense systems shot down about 100 fixed-wing drones, the ministry said, adding that Russian forces had taken control of a settlement in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that 168 combat engagements took place along the frontlines over the past day, with Ukrainian forces repelling Russian attacks in multiple directions. According to a statement, Ukraine's air force, missile units and artillery carried out strikes on five concentrated areas of Russian troops and hit one transport infrastructure facility, and also shot down close to 1,200 Russian drones.
In another notable development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a presidential decree on Tuesday amending regulations on military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, allowing people over the age of 60 to serve under contract during wartime.
Under the decree, during the period of martial law, individuals aged over 60 may be permitted to serve under one-year renewable contracts, provided they pass a medical examination by a military medical commission and obtain written consent from unit commanders.
The revised rules also stipulate that if martial law is terminated or lifted, such contracts will be ended ahead of schedule, and the personnel concerned will be discharged from service in accordance with the law.
Russia claims control of settlement, Ukraine reports repelling Russian attacks
International cruise ships brought more than 8,000 tourists to Shanghai over the past weekend, underscoring the growing momentum of the city's tourism market.
Last Saturday, two cruise ships, the Spectrum of the Seas and Mein Schiff 6, arrived in Shanghai with nearly 6,000 tourists, setting a new single day record for daily inbound arrivals at the city's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal.
Two more ships, the MSC Magnifica and Adora Magic City, arrived the next day, docking alongside Mein Schiff 6. For the first time this year, the terminal received three cruise ships docked simultaneously.
Impressed by China's customs services, tourists shared their feelings after landing.
"The service is very good, very fast. Everything is very quick," said a tourist.
"We're going to Disneyland. It's a cool trip," another tourist expressed her expectations.
During the two-day period, Shanghai port handled more than 20,000 passenger entries and exits, more than half of which were made by international travelers. Over 90 percent of them are benefiting from the visa-free policies.
"[I traveled from] Chengdu to here. I'm here to Beijing and Beijing to the UK," a tourist talked about his schedule, whose destinations in China all covered in the visa-free policies.
"Very good, excellent policy, and anything that reduces the amount of time. We had a week in ten days in China already, then we're gonna come back into the city to do some shopping," another senior visitor said.
Authorities have also introduced measures to improve the visa process.
"To ensure a smooth entry, officials will get on the ships in advance to perform inspections. So, passengers can start their trips as soon as they disembark. While at the airports, we have also provided an online submission system for arrival cards. That will also save their time," said Zhu Xiaoxiang, Deputy Director of Immigration Inspection Division under Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection.
So far this year, Shanghai's customs and immigration agents have processed more than ten million visitors, with 305,000 international passenger trips through cruise terminals, marking a prosperous tourism market.
Over 8,000 cruise passengers touch down in Shanghai, providing major tourism boost
