MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Russian troops have destroyed over 10,000 drones of the Ukrainian army since the beginning of the special military operation, the Defense Ministry said.

"A total of 558 aircraft, 261 helicopters, 10,040 drones, 442 anti-aircraft missile systems, 14,299 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,189 multiple rocket launchers, 7,479 field branch artillery weapons and mortars, as well as 16,660 units of special tactical vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours, the Russian army has intercepted three HARM missiles, three HIMARS rockets, a Neptun anti-ship missile, as well as shot down four Ukrainian aircraft and 49 UAVs of the Ukrainian army, the Defense Ministry went on to say. "Air defense systems shot down four Ukrainian aircraft: three Su-27 and one Su-24 planes of the Ukrainian air forces near the settlements of Shirokoye, Odarovka in the Zaporozhye Region and Grigorovka of the Dnepropetrovsk Region. Three HARM anti-radar missiles, three HIMARS rockets and a Neptune anti-ship missile were intercepted," the ministry said.

According to it, 49 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the area of the settlements of Staromikhailovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Zolotaryovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, Vasilyevka, Golaya Prystan in the Kherson Region, as well as Berdyansk, Novogorovka and Mirnoye in the Zaporozhye Region.