Russia on Wednesday claimed control of a settlement in the region of Kharkiv, while Ukraine reported strikes on a Russian military assembly site and air defense facilities on the same day.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its report on Wednesday that its forces took control of the Gravskoye settlement in the Kharkiv region, creating the possibility of advancing further south along the Siverskyi Donets River.
According to the report, the Russian army also struck Ukrainian targets including energy facilities and long-range drone storage sites.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said on Wednesday that a chemical plant in the Smolensk Oblast was attacked by Ukrainian drones, resulting in casualties.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the same day that its forces struck a Russian military assembly site and repelled Russian offensives on several fronts. Ukrainian forces also claimed to have destroyed 886 Russian drones.
Russia and Ukraine disclosed on Wednesday that a new round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia is expected to take place in early March, according to reports.
Russia, Ukraine update battle reports
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was welcomed by an impressive robot martial arts performance as he visited Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday.
Merz, along with members of his business delegation, watched attentively throughout the innovative show "Wu BOT," or "Kung Fu Robots," nodding in appreciation at the various stunning moves. He led the applause after the show concluded.
Merz arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day official visit to China. On Thursday he visited the Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics, whose innovative humanoid robot creations have attracted significant global attention.
Merz listened to introductions about some of the cutting-edge robot components being produced by the company before he was treated to a robot boxing demonstration, and the live performance of a segment of the dynamic robot martial arts display.
"Wu BOT" was first performed during the 2026 China Media Group Spring Festival Gala broadcast on Feb 16, the eve of the Chinese New Year. Featuring dozens of humanoid machines moving in sync with martial artists, the show presented a blend of Chinese cultural heritage and state-of-the-art robotics technology.
German chancellor watches robot martial arts performance at China's Unitree
