Russia announced on Monday that its forces hit Ukraine's drone training center and military airfields, while Ukraine reported that its forces struck a Russian military maintenance base over the past 24 hours.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported in its daily briefing that the Russian army took full control of the settlement of Stepovoye in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine. In the past day, the Russian military hit a training center for the Ukrainian army's drone control and several military airfields, it said.
Russian air defense systems shot down two JDAM bombs and 177 drones, according to it. The Russian Defense Ministry also released a video showing allegedly destroyed and captured Ukrainian weapons and equipment in the Kursk region in western Russia.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that a total of 98 battles had taken place in frontline areas as of Monday afternoon local time.
In the Kursk region, the Ukrainian army repelled four Russian attacks. In addition, the 47th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army released a video taken by a drone on the same day, showing the Ukrainian army's long-range artillery fire against a Russian military maintenance base in the Kursk region.
At an European Union (EU) meeting on Monday, Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission, proposed to provide Ukraine with up to 40 billion euros (about 43.66 billion U.S. dollars) in military support in 2025, which is about twice the amount in 2024, and each country will contribute according to the size of its economy.
The EU is reportedly at odds over the proposal. Italy and Spain said they have not yet decided whether to support the plan.
Russia, Ukraine claim to strike each other's military facilities
Russia, Ukraine claim to strike each other's military facilities
The Trump administration's move to cut public funding for the Voice of America (VOA), a propaganda tool for the U.S. government, is due to competing interests and struggles between different political factions, a Chinese expert said during an interview on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump on March 14 signed an executive order, which listed the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent agency of VOA, as part of "unnecessary" federal bureaucracy.
More than 1,300 VOA employees, including journalists, producers and assistants, were reportedly placed on administrative leave on Saturday.
Diao Daming, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China, shared his insights on why Trump halted funding for the agency during his second term.
"He feels that VOA has not effectively fulfilled its mission to make the United States great again and serve the country's interests. On the other hand, public opinion institutions under the USAGM, including VOA, have been openly critical of Trump, his team, and his administration, particularly regarding certain policies during his first term. After assuming office for a second term, Trump swiftly implemented this tough measure, which is evidently influenced by competing interests and struggles between different political factions," said Diao.
Founded in 1942, the VOA has long served as a political tool for the U.S. government, engaging in ideological confrontation and shaping public opinion. For over 80 years, regardless of whether the Democratic or Republican Party was in power, funding for institutions like VOA remained uninterrupted.
Experts described the VOA as a propaganda machine aimed at ideological infiltration in certain regions, as many of its programs are inaccessible within the United States and are instead broadcast exclusively to specific countries abroad.
"In the past, when I served as a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, I encountered VOA reporters at domestic events, international conferences, and various occasions. They would, for example, selectively ask questions during interviews, selectively edit our responses, and then selectively report and broadcast them. Given such practices, how much credibility can VOA really have?" said Yang Yujun, dean of the Academy of Media and Public Affairs at the Communication University of China.
Trump's cut to VOA due to struggles between different political factions: expert
