Russia said on Thursday that its forces had taken control of one more settlement in Donetsk region, while Ukraine on the same day claimed to have repelled multiple Russian attacks.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a briefing that Russian troops had carried out strikes on Ukrainian military airport infrastructure, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as assembly areas for Ukrainian military personnel and equipment in 135 regions.
The ministry also stated that Russian air defense systems had shot down 95 Ukrainian drones and reported over 300 casualties among the Ukrainian troops in Russia's western Kursk region.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that there had been 79 fights on the front lines, with the situation remaining tense, particularly in the directions of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military had repelled Russian attacks towards the Volchansk and Kupyansk regions.
In addition, operations by the Ukrainian military in the Kursk region were ongoing, according to the Ukrainian side.
Russia seizes one more settlement in Donetsk, Ukraine repels Russian attacks
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Juraj Blanar, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, in Beijing on Friday, with both sides vowing to strive for new progress in bilateral relations.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's visit to China is highly productive and fruitful.
He said the elevation of China-Slovakia relations to a strategic partnership sends a positive signal to the world.
China has always viewed and developed its relations with Slovakia from a long-term and strategic perspective and is willing to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and promote the steady and sustained development of bilateral relations, Wang said.
Blanar said Prime Minister Fico's visit is of historic significance. He looks forward to taking the establishment of a strategic partnership as a new starting point to promote greater development of bilateral relations.
The two sides also exchanged views on China-EU relations.
Fico is on an official visit to China from Oct 31 to Nov 5. During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday, they decided to elevate China-Slovakia relations to a strategic partnership.
Chinese, Slovak foreign ministers meet on closer ties
