China launches Tianzhou-8 cargo craft to send space station supplies

China launched the cargo craft Tianzhou-8 on Friday night to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The Long March-7 Y9 rocket carrying the spacecraft blasted off at 23:13 Beijing Time (1513 GMT) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan.

After about 10 minutes, the Tianzhou-8 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels then unfolded. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

The cargo craft will later conduct the rendezvous and docking with the space station combination.

Afterwards, the Shenzhou-19 crew, which was sent into the space station on October 30, will enter the cargo craft and transfer the items as scheduled.

China launches Tianzhou-8 cargo craft to send space station supplies

China launches Tianzhou-8 cargo craft to send space station supplies

Russia reported continued strikes on Ukrainian facilities, while Ukraine claimed to have destroyed Russian facilities, according to reports released by both sides on Saturday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a briefing Saturday that in the past day, Russian forces struck Ukrainian forces' manpower and equipment assembly points in 148 locations, destroying infrastructure at one military airfield and one fuel depot.

The Russian air defense forces shot down four US-made HIMARS missiles and 104 drones belonging to the Ukrainian military.

On the same day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated on social media that on Thursday, Ukrainian forces targeted a military facility of the Russian Armed Forces in Oryol Oblast, destroying a facility used by the Russian military to store, maintain, and repair drones.

Russia, Ukraine maintain attacks on each other's military targets