MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. Russian troops destroyed over 70 HIMARS rockets and two multiple launch rocket systems in a precision strike against the ArcelorMittal plant in Krivoi Rog in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"According to the confirmed information, a strike by ground-based high-precision weapons against a missile/artillery armament depot in one of the workshops of the ArcelorMittal metallurgical plant in the city of Krivoi Rog destroyed over 70 rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and two multiple rocket launchers," the spokesman said.

Also, four multiple launch rocket systems were critically damaged in the strike, the general added.

Russian artillery and combat aircraft thwarted Ukrainian army attempts to attack in the Kupyansk area, eliminating about 70 militants in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, preemptive artillery fire, strikes by aircraft and heavy flamethrower systems against the amassed Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Olshana, Kislovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic thwarted the enemy’s attempts to attack the Russian troop positions," the spokesman said.

During the battles, Russian forces eliminated as many as 70 Ukrainian troops, an infantry fighting vehicle, an MT-LB transporter, two 2S-1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery guns and three motor vehicles, the general specified.

Russian forces continue advancing in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating over 130 Ukrainian troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, Russian troops continue their offensive operations, as a result of which they have gained more advantageous frontiers and positions," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminated enemy manpower and military hardware in that area as a result of battles, the general said.

"Russian artillery fire and strikes by assault and army aviation aircraft wiped out over 130 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles and one motor vehicle in the past 24 hours," Konashenkov reported.

Russian troops thwarted Ukrainian army attempts to counter-attack in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, the general said.

"In the Donetsk area, the Ukrainian army’s attempts to counter-attack in the areas of the settlements of Pershe Travnya, Kurdyumovka, Kleshcheyevka and Mayorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic were foiled," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, Russian forces eliminated over 40 Ukrainian military personnel, three combat armored vehicles and a pickup truck in that area, the general specified.

Russian forces thwarted Ukrainian army attempts to regain positions in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk direction, the enemy unsuccessfully attempted to regain positions in the areas of the settlements of Novomayorskoye, Vladimirovka and Novopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian army units were pushed back to initial positions by artillery fire and decisive actions by Russian troops," the spokesman said.

The enemy’s losses in that area amounted to 100 personnel killed and wounded, two infantry fighting vehicles, one armored personnel carrier and four motor vehicles, the general specified.

Russian forces obliterated two US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radars of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Kharkov Region in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the areas of the settlements of Stupochki in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Zelyony Gai in the Kharkov Region, two AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radars of US manufacture were destroyed," the spokesman said.

Also, in the area of the settlement of Barvenkovo in the Kharkov Region, Russian forces destroyed a radar station of a Ukrainian S-300 surface-to-air missile system. In addition, they wiped out a missile/artillery armament depot of the Ukrainian army in the area of the community of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region, the general added.

Russian troops destroyed a HIMARS multiple launch rocket system with ammunition belonging to the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"A strike against the Ukrainian army’s equipment recovery point in the area of the settlement of Malotaranovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic destroyed a HIMARS rocket launcher and 48 rockets," the spokesman said.

Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-24 bomber in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Su-24 plane of the Ukrainian Air Force in the area of the community of Artyomovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian troops struck a deployment site of foreign mercenaries in the Kharkov Region in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery struck 79 artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 183 areas. In the area of the settlement of Borovskoye in the Kharkov Region, a temporary deployment site of foreign mercenaries was struck," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces intercepted four HIMARS, Olkha and Uragan rockets in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Four rockets of HIMARS, Olkha and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems were intercepted in the areas of the settlements of Olkhovatka in the Kharkov Region, Pervomaisk and Frunze in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Volnovakha in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, Russian air defense capabilities also destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of the settlements of Poltava, Novovodyanoye and Novokrasnyanka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Ambarnoye in the Kharkov Region, the general specified.

Russian troops have destroyed over 7,000 Ukrainian tanks and other combat armored vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

"In all, the following targets have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation: 341 warplanes, 180 helicopters, 2,638 unmanned aerial vehicles, 392 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,020 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 913 multiple rocket launchers, 3,664 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,498 special military motor vehicles," the spokesman said.