Russia said on Wednesday that its forces launched strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure and ports while Ukraine, on the same day, reported a series of deep strikes targeting assets well within Russian territory over the past 24 hours.
In an official statement, Russia's Defense Ministry said that Russian troops took control of a settlement in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine over the past 24 hours. The ministry also claimed Russian forces continued advancing deeper into Ukrainian defensive lines in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions in southeastern Ukraine.
The ministry added that Russian forces kept targeting Ukrainian military-related infrastructure, including ports and logistics centers, in launching the strikes. It further claimed that a Russian drone destroyed a MiG-29 fighter jet parked at an airfield in Ukraine's Kiev region.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Ukrainian forces conducted a joint deep strike operation in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia early on Wednesday, targeting infrastructure at the Russian navy base in Novorossiysk as well as the frigate Admiral Essen, resulting in a fire breaking out on the ship's superstructure.
In a separate statement on the same day, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces confirmed they had executed another deep strike into Russian territory, successfully hitting two Russian natural gas processing plants.
Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian defense facilities, Ukraine claims launching deep strikes in Russia
Norwegian Ambassador to China Vebjorn Dysvik said Wednesday that the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) offers a strong platform for developing new partnerships, as a record number of Norwegian companies attend.
Running through Sept. 13 at Shougang Park, a former industrial site and a venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the fair has drawn participants from 90 countries, regions and international organizations, with over 1,800 companies exhibiting on-site. Among them are 473 Fortune Global 500 firms and other industry leaders, including Honeywell, Johnson and Johnson, and Siemens.
During the fair, more than 190 forums, conferences, and business negotiation and promotion events will be held, along with 74 supporting activities and 11 business tour itineraries.
Norway is this year's guest country of honor at CIFTIS, and its exhibition area showcases Norway's distinctive industries and innovative achievements.
"It's a great opportunity and we can see this from the number of Norwegian companies that show up. And we have a record number of companies this year because our companies see that this is a good platform to develop all partnerships, but also to create new partnerships," said Vebjorn Dysvik, Norwegian Ambassador to China.
This year, for the first time, the fair has established an exhibition area for Chinese services in the core exhibition zone, showcasing innovative achievements and exemplary cases in the field of trade in services.
In addition, special zones were set up for the first time in several thematic exhibitions to provide professional support for Chinese enterprises looking to expand into international markets.
"The exhibition area for overseas service providers features 28 companies offering services overseas. It covers a wide range of topics, including accounting and auditing, human resources, intellectual property, consulting services, financial services, and digital marketing software services. In addition, we have invited 41 firms to participate in the overseas service recommendation roadshow, providing attendees with a one-stop solution for overseas expansion," said Zhao Fangqi, staff member at the fair.
This year's event also highlights the application of cutting-edge technologies in the service trade sector, while the sports and cultural tourism service exhibition areas feature numerous innovative interactive experiences.
Some exhibitors expressed their hope to meet the new service demands driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) era through more innovative approaches.
Norwegian ambassador hails CIFTIS as partnership platform
