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Military operation in Ukraine

Russian troops down four Ukrainian warplanes, two helicopters — top brass

Also, Russian bombers and attack aircraft destroyed three Ukrainian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile systems and two radar stations

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/. The Russian troops destroyed three Ukrainian Su-27 fighters near Poltava, a Su-25 attack plane in Gostomel and two Mi-24 helicopters in the area of Makarov on March 6, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.

"Yesterday, fighter jets of Russia’s Aerospace Force and battlefield air defense systems shot down another three Su-27 planes of the Ukrainian Air Force near Poltava, a Su-25 aircraft near Gostomel and two Mi-24 helicopters in the area of Makarov and eight unmanned aerial vehicles, including Bayraktar TB2 drones," the spokesman said.

Also, Russian bombers and attack aircraft destroyed three Ukrainian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile systems and two radar stations, the general said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories and the operation was aimed at demilitarizing and denazifying Ukraine.

When clarifying the developments unfolding, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.

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Ukraine Russian Defense Ministry Military operation in Ukraine

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