MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces shot down eight Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and intercepted a Tochka-U ballistic missile and over 40 HIMARS and other rockets in the past day in their special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.
"In the past 24 hours, the Russian air defense capabilities shot down eight unmanned aerial vehicles near the settlements of Yakovenkovo, Volchiy Yar, Shpakovka, Kislovka, Glinskoye and Kapitolovka in the Kharkov Region, Petrovka and Lyubimovka in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.
"They also intercepted: one Tochka-U ballistic missile near Bezymyannoye in the Kherson Region and 48 shells of multiple launch rocket systems, including 44 HIMARS rockets in the areas of Muzykovka, Znamenka, Vesyoloye, Kamenka, Daryevka, Novaya Kakhovka, Berislav, Dnepryany and Tomarino," the general added.
In addition, "in the area of the Antonovka Bridge, the Russian air defense systems shot down two US-made AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles," Konashenkov reported.
The Russian troops wiped out a platoon of US-made M777 howitzers near the settlement of Andreyevka in the Kherson Region in their special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.
"A firing platoon of American M777 howitzers was obliterated in the area of Andreyevka in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.
The Russian troops also wiped out eight Ukrainian missile/artillery arms and ammunition depots in the areas of the settlements of Dorozhnyanka and Malinovka in the Zaporozhye Region, Kavkaz, Bereznegovatoye, Zhovtnevoye and Velikoye Artakovo in the Nikolayev Region, Novoukrainka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kolomiytsy in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, the general added.
The Russian troops thwarted an attempt by the Ukrainian military to advance in the Kharkov area, inflicting damage on the enemy’s 14th mechanized brigade that lost over 50 personnel, Konashenkov reported.
"As a result of inflicting damage by firepower on units of the 14th mechanized brigade near the settlement of Russkiye Tishki, the attempt by the Ukrainian military to advance in the Kharkov direction was thwarted. The enemy’s losses amounted to over fifty personnel," the spokesman said.
The remaining 56 Ukrainian servicemen made an attempt to retreat to Kharkov but came under the fire of the Neo-Nazi Kraken battalion as they approached the north-western outskirts of the Saltovka district. The Neo-Nazi battalion eliminated most of the remaining 56 servicemen of the Ukrainian army’s 14th mechanized brigade, the general specified.
The Kiev regime continued unsuccessful attempts in the past 24 hours to attack in the Nikolayev and Krivoi Rog areas, Konashenkov reported.
"In the past 24 hours, the Kiev regime continued unsuccessful attempts to carry out offensive operations in the Nikolayev and Krivoi Rog areas," the spokesman said.
"Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, missile and artillery troops inflicted heavy losses on the Ukrainian army’s advancing units and reserves," he said.
"In the past 24 hours alone, the enemy lost 31 tanks, 22 infantry fighting vehicles, 18 other combat armored vehicles, eight pickup trucks with large-caliber machine-guns, 17 special motor vehicles and over 350 personnel during combat operations in that area," the general reported.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 280 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 151 helicopters, 1,852 unmanned aerial vehicles, 371 surface-to-air missile systems, 4,663 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 822 multiple rocket launchers, 3,363 field artillery guns and mortars and 5,192 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of their special military operation in Ukraine, the spokesman said.