Online Desk/

Since the beginning of this year, about 280,000 soldiers have been recruited into the Russian army. The country’s former president and chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said this on Sunday.

Russia’s military operation in Ukraine has lasted 19 months. Being unpopular, the country did not go down the path of another round of nationally mandated conscription. However, active campaigning in military recruitment continued.

Medvedev said, according to the information of the Ministry of Defense, 280,000 people joined the contract in the Russian army from January 1 of this year. They have joined reserve, volunteer and other departments.

Medvedev made the announcement during a trip to Russia’s easternmost island Shakhalin, the country’s state news agency Tass reported. At the beginning of August, he said that 230,000 new soldiers have been recruited since the beginning of this year. However, AFP could not separately verify this number of army recruits.

22 Russian drones destroyed

Russia launched a large-scale attack on the southern part of Ukraine last Saturday night. But Ukraine’s air force said early this morning that it had destroyed 22 Russian drones during the nighttime attack in the southern Odesa region.

The Air Force of Ukraine wrote on the social media Telegram that Russia launched repeated attacks from the south and southeast. ‘Shaheed-136/131’ drones were used in the attack.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia carried out the attack with a total of 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones. 22 of these drones were destroyed by Ukraine.

However, the Ministry of Defense of Russia said in a statement today that the Russian forces launched a drone attack on an oil depot of the Ukrainian army in the Odesa region near the border with Romania.

According to the statement, the Russian Air Force used several drones to attack facilities that supply fuel to the vehicles of the Ukrainian military. These structures are located in the Reni port on the left bank of the Danube.

A UN-brokered Black Sea crop deal collapsed last July. Under this agreement it was possible to send grain shipments safely through the Black Sea. Moscow has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions following Russia’s withdrawal from the deal.

Other infrastructure, including ports in southern Odessa and Mykolaiv regions, is important for grain shipments. Last month, the first civilian cargo ship to cross the Black Sea from Ukraine arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, defying the Russian blockade.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that two more ships had left for their destination through the country’s temporary Black Sea grain corridor.

Putin-X meeting is coming soon

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping very soon. In a discussion program last Friday, he said, ‘We will participate in some programs soon. There will be a meeting with the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China (Xi Chin Ping).

“I am happy to call him my friend,” Putin said. Because, he is such a person, who is personally doing a lot of work in various fields to improve relations between Russia and China.

Earlier it was said that Putin may participate in the Belt and Road Forum to be held in China in October.
Russia is not at the Nobel Prize ceremony

The Nobel Foundation has backed away from inviting the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus to participate in this year’s Nobel Prize ceremony amid criticism. This was reported yesterday Saturday.

Every year, the world’s most prestigious awards ceremony is organized in Stockholm, Sweden.

Last year it was decided not to invite the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus because of the war in Ukraine. A similar decision was made against the country’s ambassador due to the crackdown on protesters in Iran.

However, the Nobel Foundation said on August 31 that they will return to the custom of inviting ambassadors from all countries to the Nobel Prize distribution ceremony. Immediately after their announcement, the backlash started.