Russia said on Monday it has taken control of the R-280 Novorossiya highway, a key supply route to Crimea, while Ukraine reported military strikes against targets in the waters near Crimea.
Yevgeny Balitsky, governor of the Russia-controlled part of the Zaporizhzhia region, reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces have taken full control of the highway.
The highway stretches more than 630 kilometers from Russia's Rostov region to Simferopol in Crimea, passing through Rostov Oblast, the Donetsk region, the Zaporizhzhia region, and the Kherson region.
Also on Monday, Ukraine's Security Service said in a statement that Ukrainian forces have carried out precision strikes on targets in the waters near Crimea earlier in the day, damaging seven vessels, including three oil tankers and four dry cargo ships.
Russia controls key land route to Crimea, Ukraine strikes vessels in nearby waters
A China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesman announced that, out of humanitarian considerations, Chinese authorities on Tuesday morning permitted the transfer of injured personnel from a Philippine vessel that was illegally "grounded" at China's Ren'ai Jiao in the South China Sea.
Jiang Lue, spokesman for the CCG, said the transfer, under the monitoring of the Chinese side, was conducted via a small boat of a Philippine vessel.
The transfer came a day after Philippine personnel from the illegally grounded Philippine ship LT-57 carried out a malicious provocation, attacking a CCG patrol boat with oars, poles and other tools and injuring a CCG officer's right arm. The CCG responded with maximum restraint, taking lawful measures to stabilize the situation.
The CCG will continue to carry out law-enforcement activities to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests at Ren'ai Jiao and its surrounding waters in accordance with the law, the spokesman added.
China permits injured Philippine personnel transfer from illegally grounded vessel
