Ukraine, Briefly

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• China will send a contingent of troops to Russia to attend joint military drills involving several other countries, including India, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan, Radio Free Europe reported. Chinese officials said that participation in the joint exercises is “unrelated to the current international and regional situation,” an apparent reference to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

• Despite grave threats of vengeance from Moscow, Ukraine has launched a string of daring strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea in recent days, including one on Tuesday by an elite military force operating behind enemy lines, the New York Times noted. Last month, a top Russian official declared that if Ukraine invaded Crimea, it would face “Judgment Day.”

• The first vessel to leave Ukraine following an agreement to restart grain exports from the country two weeks ago arrived at the Syrian port city of Tartous this week, according to Reuters. The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni sailed from Odesa’s port on Aug. 1 as part of a hard-won grain deal. Because it has kept its transponder off lately, its position has remained unclear.