MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Russian air defense weapons shot down two Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters, a Su-25 aircraft and eleven drones, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.

"Russian air defense capabilities shot down three Ukrainian combat aircraft: two MiG-29 fighters near the community of Izyum and a Su-25 plane near Avdeyevka," the spokesman said.

"The Russian forces also shot down 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near the communities of Klimovo, Nevelskoye, Novotroitskoye, Izyum, Panteleimonovka, Sladkovodnoye and Yasnoye. They also intercepted 10 large-caliber shells fired by Ukrainian multiple launch rocket systems against the community of Chernobayevka," the general said.

"Throughout the night, the Russian artillery systems delivered strikes against 315 Ukrainian military targets to destroy 18 command posts, 22 artillery batteries, an OSA-AKM surface-to-air missile system, and also 275 strongholds and areas of enemy manpower amassment," the spokesman said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address 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. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.

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.