live blog
Ukraine says it has repelled a major Russian drone attack on Odessa. According to a British analysis, Russia will increase its military budget by 68 percent in 2024. The developments in the live blog.
- Ukraine reports averted drone attack on Odessa
After Ukrainian air defense shot down drones over the south of Ukraine, a warehouse in the port of Odessa was hit by falling debris, according to local authorities. In the oblast of the same name, nine “Shahed” drones were intercepted, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the short message service Telegram.
No one was injured by the drone debris. A total of 14 drones and one cruise missile fired by the Russian military were intercepted in the south and east of Ukraine during the night. “Western weapons have proven and continue to demonstrate their effectiveness on the battlefield,” wrote Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, on Telegram
China and Russia are deepening their economic cooperation. A number of cooperation agreements were signed at a regional conference in northeast China, Chinese state media reported.
The sectors ranged from industry and logistics to electronic commerce and agriculture. The conference in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, was attended by representatives and almost 800 domestic companies seeking to gain a foothold in the Russian market.
China is also expanding its cooperation with its neighbor after Russian forces invaded Ukraine last year. The northeast of the country – consisting of the provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin – has gained new strategic importance as an area for bilateral trade.
According to its own statements, Ukraine repelled a major Russian drone attack on the Black Sea region of Odessa on Monday night. The air defense of the southern Ukrainian region shot down nine unmanned aerial vehicles, military governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.
On the port site, falling debris damaged the roof of a building and started a fire, which has now been extinguished, Kiper wrote. Initially nothing was known about possible victims. The Ukrainian military also said that a total of 14 drones and one missile were repelled across the country.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian parties to the conflict cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
Hatched: territories occupied by Russia
According to British estimates, the massive increase in Russian government spending on defense will put a significant strain on the Russian economy. “Continuously increased military spending will most likely contribute to inflationary pressures in Russia,” the British Ministry of Defense said.
The increase in military spending will probably force the government to make difficult decisions about financing the war – which will increase the pressure on companies. The budget for 2024 provides for an increase of 68 percent for defense compared to the previous year.
This increased spending in this area to six percent of gross domestic product, it said in London. “In contrast, spending on education and health will be frozen at 2023 levels, which represents a real spending cut due to inflation.”
The Ukrainian Air Force says it intercepted all drones and one missile launched by the Russian armed forces on Monday night. All 14 drones were destroyed, including 13 of the Iranian “Shahed” type, the Air Force announced on the short message service Telegram. A cruise missile was also destroyed.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian parties to the conflict cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
According to Ukrainian sources, six people were killed in an attack on a postal distribution center in the Kharkiv region. The British military is training Ukrainian engineers.