Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier successfully moors at a Chinese harbor

Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier successfully moors at a Chinese harbor

In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, various developments have taken place over the past day.

The German debate on the potential deployment of the Bundeswehr is being closely monitored in Ukraine, with many Ukrainians expressing hope for a peacekeeping mission. Meanwhile, the Russian army has allegedly changed its tactics in the fight for the city of Pokrovsk in southeastern Ukraine. Small groups of marine infantry are reportedly being used to penetrate the city and encircle it.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, multiple drone swarms have been reported, causing fires in Saporischschja and injuring at least four people. The Ukrainian air force managed to intercept 68 out of 91 drones that Russia is said to have launched.

Ukrainian authorities report six deaths and eleven injuries due to Russian air strikes overnight. The main focus of Russian attacks is in the Donetsk region of the Donbass, where four civilians were killed.

In a positive development, Ukraine's military has rescued four of its soldiers from Russian-occupied territory who had been hiding for more than three years.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Moscow, an invitation that Zelenskyy has rejected.

British intelligence claims that Ukrainian youth in Russian-occupied territories are being politically indoctrinated through "University Sessions" at 116 Russian universities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also called on the domestic industry to develop new engines for carrier rockets.

In international news, a Russian LNG tanker, "Voskhod", has docked at a Chinese port in Tieshan, Guangxi province, after being loaded at the Arctic LNG 2 facility in Gydan, northern Siberia.

Moreover, more than a thousand military vehicles have arrived in Lithuania for a German Army exercise aimed at reinforcing the protection of NATO partner countries.

On the economic front, a labor market expert predicts a sustained upswing in Germany's defense industry, with potential for up to 200,000 new jobs. However, the RWE CEO Markus Krebber has cautiously commented on a possible restart of the Nord Stream pipelines, stating that it is ultimately a political question.

Lastly, Markus Söder, the leader of the CSU, is facing criticism for suggesting sending combat-capable Ukrainian refugees back to their homeland. The Green Party leader Franziska Brantner accuses him of populism, while the SPD's foreign policy spokesman, Adis Ahmetovic, says the discussion should not be led by the coalition.