Prior to the announcement of the training, the Chinese state-run Global Times published an interview on July 10 with Serbian Lieutenant Colonel Dalibor Aleksic, who commands an air defense unit operating two China-supplied weapon systems: the FK-3 and the HQ-17AE.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no fear of US President Donald Trump's threats and is preparing to continue military operations in Ukraine until the West agrees to his peace terms, Reuters reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly unfettered from fighting the war against Ukraine until his terms for peace are met, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threats. His demands may even advance as Russian forces advance further into Ukraine.

President Putin said on Friday that Russia was looking to cut its military expenditure from next year, contrasting that with NATO's plan to ramp up defence spending over the next decade.

To offset battlefield losses without triggering a second wave of mobilisation, the Russian president signed a decree allowing foreigners to serve in the Russian army not only during a state of emergency or martial law,

Russia has made advances into eastern Ukraine, but the human cost is an estimated 53 casualties per square kilometre seized.

The BBC reported in May that more than 100,000 have been killed. But the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has stated that Ukrainian fatality rates are also substantial, with between 60,000 and 100,000 soldiers killed, and 400,000 casualties overall.

Perhaps that’s because, with Russia’s long-range drone supply chain secured, Iran’s role as a critical supplier for Moscow’s war is waning. Instead, Russia can capitalize on a weakened and isolated Iran, dependent on Russian support, to serve a far more valuable purpose: diplomatic relevance.