A young Chinese man has devoted eight relentless years to defying the barren dunes of the Taklamakan Desert, battling the sand and turning a yellow wasteland into a thriving green oasis.
In 2019, after graduating from university, Xu Zhaoyang gave up job opportunities in the city and returned to his hometown of Hotan County, located on the southern edge of the Taklamakan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Although the area is frequently battered by sandstorms, Xu was determined to return and take up desert farming, a choice his family initially did not understand.
"I really didn't understand or support him. I have been farming all my life and I felt reluctant to see my son continue to farm in these harsh conditions," said the young man's father, Xu Daobin.
Despite the opposition, Xu Zhaoyang took over about 25 hectares of saline-alkali wasteland in 2019 to use as a test field.
After studying research materials and consulting experts, Xu finally selected alfalfa, a crop with both ecological and economic benefits, after testing 60 varieties of forage grass.
However, just as the planting was beginning to show results, a severe sandstorm buried all the newly sprouted alfalfa.
"The alfalfa was completely wiped out. At that moment, I felt a heavy sense of loss," Xu recalled.
Despite the setback, Xu never lost his determination. He continued to explore and improve his methods, eventually expanding the area he managed to over about 660 hectares to plant alfalfa, wheat, and corn. His efforts have paid off, and the soil in the desert has been greatly improved.
"It's actually because the soil has improved. Look at this soil. It used to be desert, but now it has a granular structure. It has become very fertile land," Xu said.
His father's perspective has also completely changed.
"I only managed a few dozen mu of land, but he is managing more than ten thousand mu (over 660 hectares). I am very happy and proud of him," Xu Daobin said.
Young man brings green farmland to life to Xinjiang's desert
Russia's military said more than 1,200 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones were intercepted and destroyed across multiple regions overnight into Thursday, while Ukrainian forces reported striking a Russian drone control point and repelling attacks on several fronts.
In its latest update, the Russian Ministry of Defense said 1,214 Ukrainian drones were downed across 19 regions, including Bryansk, Belgorod, and Moscow.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on Telegram that 613 drones targeted the capital region between 20:30 Wednesday and 07:00 Thursday. Most were intercepted at long range by air defenses, with an additional 231 destroyed as they approached the city.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said a drone struck a dry cargo ship carrying supplies for Ukrainian forces en route to the port of Odesa early Thursday.
In retaliation, Ukrainian forces targeted energy infrastructure in the Luhansk region, cutting power to six towns and leaving over 150,000 households without electricity as of Thursday afternoon, according to Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-appointed head of the region. Pasechnik added that central Luhansk was hit by a massive morning strike that damaged residential buildings, a post office, the archives building, and a parking lot, though no injuries were reported.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in its 08:00 Thursday update that its forces struck two Russian personnel concentration areas and a drone control point over the past 24 hours, while repelling attacks in several directions, including Pokrovsk. Ukrainian forces also claimed to have destroyed various Russian armored vehicles, artillery systems, ground robotic systems, and drones.
Separately, Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 112 attack drones beginning Wednesday evening, 97 of which were shot down or suppressed by 08:00 Thursday. The air force noted that the assault was ongoing, with several Russian drones still active in Ukrainian airspace.
Russia reports over 1,200 Ukrainian drones downed overnight as Ukraine counters with strikes
