Russia claimed on Monday that its forces had struck multiple Ukrainian military targets over the past 24 hours, while Ukraine reported on the same day that its air forces had shot down dozens of drones launched by Russia.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that, over the past day, Russian forces had taken control of a settlement and carried out strikes on Ukrainian ammunition depots, electronic warfare base stations, military airfield infrastructure, and other targets.
In addition, the Russian air forces claimed to have downed a number of Ukrainian drones.
Also on Monday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that its forces had engaged in more than 200 clashes with Russian forces.
The Ukrainian army had held its positions and repelled multiple Russian offensives amid a tense situation on the frontlines, it added.
The Ukrainian Air Force also reported shooting down dozens of Russian drones between the wee hours and the early Monday morning.
Russia claims strikes on Ukrainian military targets, Ukraine reports shooting down Russian drones
The current economic performance indicates that China's GDP is expected to grow by around five percent this year, reinforcing its role as a key engine of global economic growth, said an official of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs.
The comments came after the annual, tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference, which was held in Beijing from Dec 11 to 12, where the key economic tasks for 2025 were laid out.
The new quality productive forces have developed steadily, with significant advancements in scientific and technological innovation, particularly in areas such as integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology. The intelligent and digital transformation of traditional industries has progressed continuously, while the pace of green and low-carbon transformation has notably accelerated, the official said.
Reform and opening-up efforts have continued to deepen, with major initiatives such as raising the retirement age and establishing a unified national market advancing at an accelerated pace. The high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative has been steadily promoted, yielding positive outcomes in terms of high-level opening-up.
Risks in key areas have been mitigated in an orderly and effective manner. A series of measures have been implemented to stabilize the real estate market, resulting in consecutive year-on-year and month-on-month increases in commercial housing sales in October and November. Efforts to address local government debt have been proactive, while risks in small and medium-sized local financial institutions have been steadily alleviated through reforms. The country has made solid efforts to ensure people's wellbeing, with stable employment and the sustained consolidation of poverty alleviation achievements.
China's 2024 economic growth expected to reach about 5 pct: official
