MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russian units have taken control of the village of Yakovlevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, its mopping-up from the remnants of the Ukrainian armed forces is currently continuing, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Sunday.

"In the Donetsk direction, as a result of the offensive actions of Russian units, the settlement of Yakovlevka of the Donetsk People's Republic has been taken under control. At present, its mopping-up from the remnants of Ukrainian troops is being completed," Konashenkov said.

According to him, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to regain by counterattacks lost positions in the DPR’s settlements of Podgorodnoye, Kleshchiyevka, Kurdyumovka. "As a result of artillery strikes and actions of Russian assault groups, the counterattacks were repulsed. The enemy suffered losses and was pushed back to their initial positions," the spokesman stressed. Konashenkov also said that more than 40 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored fighting vehicles and three vehicles were destroyed in the fighting.

Russia’s armed forces hit the command center of Ukraine’s 113th territorial defense brigade, Konashenkov added.

"Russia’s tactical aircraft, missile and artillery troops hit the command center of the 113th territorial defense brigade near the settlement of Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), as well as 109 artillery units at firing sites, manpower and hardware in 144 locations," he said.

Russia destroys three Ukrainian sabotage groups in South Donetsk direction

The Russian armed forces have destroyed three Ukrainian sabotage groups in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Zaporozhye Region, Defense Ministry Spokesman, reports.

"Three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were destroyed in the areas of Novomikhailovka, Vladimirovka of the Donetsk People's Republic and Novoselovka of the Zaporozhye Region," he said.

Konashenkov noted that an enemy repair and evacuation group was also destroyed near the village of Vremevka in the Donetsk People's Republic thanks to artillery fire and active actions of Russian troops.

On December 17, Konashenkov reported that two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were detected and destroyed near the DPR settlements of Novomayorskoye and Shevchenko.

Russian forces shoot down Ukrainian drone and intercept nine HIMARS rockets

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian drone in the Donetsk People’s Republic and intercepted nine HIMARS rockets in the Kherson Region, the DPR and the LPR, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman told reporters.

"Anti-aircraft defense assets shot down a Ukrainian drone near the village of Yelenovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, and also intercepted nine HIMARS rocket near the villages of Chaplynka in the Kherson Region, Artyomovsk, Yenakiyevo in the Donetsk People's Republic, Popasnaya, Beloye in the Lugansk People's Republic," he said at a briefing on the progress of the special military operation.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a total of 344 aircraft, 184 helicopters, 2,676 drones, 398 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,149 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,691 field artillery and mortars, and 7,650 special military vehicles have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation.

Russian forces destroy Ukraine’s US-made counterbattery artillery radar system in DPR

Russian troops destroyed Ukraine’s AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery artillery radar system of the US make in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Defense Ministry Spokesman reported.

"The position of a US-made counterbattery artillery system AN/TPQ-36 was spotted and destroyed near the settlement of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," he said.

Russian troops foil Ukrainian attempts to conduct combat reconnaissance in LPR

Russian troops in the course of the special operation suppressed Ukrainian attempts to conduct combat reconnaissance in the direction of Golikovo and Kremennaya settlements of the Lugansk People's Republic. They also inflicted artillery fire on the Ukrainian military reserves, Defense Ministry Spokesman told.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, near the settlement of Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, Russian artillery hit the enemy's reserves as a result of a fire raid. In addition, pre-emptive fire on Ukrainian assault groups prevented enemy attempts to conduct combat reconnaissance in the direction of Golikovo and Kremennaya settlements of the Lugansk People's Republic," he said.

According to Konashenkov, Ukrainian losses in this direction during the day amounted to 60 Ukrainian servicemen, as well as one tank and two pickup trucks.

Russian forces hit Ukraine’s manpower and hardware in Zaporozhye region

Russia’s forces delivered a strike at Ukrainian troops and hardware in the southern Donetsk direction, killing or wounding around 50 Ukrainian troops, Konashenkov noted.

"Ukrainian manpower and military hardware were struck in the southern Donetsk direction, near the settlements of Shevchenko and Dorozhnyanka in the Zaporozhye Region," he said.

According to Konashenkov, the Ukrainian side lost up to 50 troops, who were either killed or wounded. Apart from that, a Ukrainian armored combat vehicle, a tank retriever and two pickup trucks were destroyed.

Up to 25 Ukrainian troops neutralized by Russian forces in Kupyansk direction

"Up to 25 Ukrainian soldiers, an armored infantry carrier and two cars were destroyed near the settlement of Kislovka in the Kupyansk direction in the Kharkov region," Konashenkov said.