MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Russian troops wiped out Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in over 140 areas and more than 60 enemy artillery units at firing positions in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.
"Russian operational-tactical aircraft, missile troops and artillery obliterated an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army near the settlement of Nevskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, 64 artillery units at firing positions, and also manpower and military hardware in 143 areas," the spokesman said.
Russian army aviation and artillery destroyed roughly 30 Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles were destroyed as a result of army aviation and artillery strikes at Ukrainian army units near the settlement of Kislovka in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.
Russian forces struck amassed Ukrainian manpower in the Krasny Liman area and eliminated three enemy subversive groups in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, strikes were delivered against amassments of enemy manpower and military equipment in the area of the settlement of Nevskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic. In areas near the communities of Chervonaya Dibrova and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, three Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups were eliminated," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminated enemy manpower and military hardware during the fighting, the general said.
"The enemy’s losses in that area in the last 24-hour period amounted to 50 soldiers, two combat armored vehicles and three pickup trucks," he specified.
Russian forces continued their advance in the Donetsk area, eliminating over 100 Ukrainian troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Donetsk direction, Russian forces continued their offensive operations. In the areas of the settlements of Ivano-Daryevka, Bakhmutskoye and Orlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, combined firepower strikes on Ukrainian army positions wiped out over 100 Ukrainian troops, four infantry fighting vehicles and two motor vehicles," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroyed deployment sites of two Ukrainian army brigades in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the southern Donetsk area, artillery fire destroyed temporary deployment sites of units of the Ukrainian army’s 61st and 72nd mechanized brigades in areas near the communities of Konstantinovka and Zolotaya Niva in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
In the area of the settlement of Novodonetskoye in the DPR, Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance group, the general specified.
"In the past 24 hours, the enemy’s losses in that area amounted to 70 Ukrainian personnel killed and wounded, three combat armored vehicles and two pickup trucks," Konashenkov reported.
Russian air defense forces destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the past day, he said.
"In the past 24 hours, five unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Rudovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Volnovakha and Novoandreyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Velikiye Kopani in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.
Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down two MiG-29 warplanes and a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down two MiG-29 planes of the Ukrainian Air Force in the areas of the settlements of Stepanovka and Belozerskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In addition, a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down near the community of Timofeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian air defense forces shot down a Su-25 ground attack plane and a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Russian air defense capabilities shot down a Su-25 plane of the Ukrainian Air Force near the town of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In the area of the settlement of Severnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down," the spokesman said.
Russian forces obliterated a US-made counter-battery radar of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar of US manufacture was obliterated," the spokesman said.
In addition, in the area of the community of Ukrainka in the DPR, two radar stations of Ukrainian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems redeployed from central Ukraine were uncovered and destroyed, the general added.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 347 Ukrainian warplanes, 186 helicopters, 2,689 unmanned aerial vehicles, 398 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,168 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,693 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,674 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.