MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russian troops repelled two counterattacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kupyansk direction over the day, while enemy losses amounted to up to 30 soldiers, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

"Units of the West Group of Forces repelled two counterattacks of the 32nd mechanized and 57th motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk direction in the area of the village of Sinkovka, Kharkov region. In addition, the manpower and equipment of the 60th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 103rd territorial defence brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Tabaevka, Kharkov region, and Terny, Donetsk People's Republic," the statement said.

The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that enemy losses amounted to up to 30 military personnel, two vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, and two D-30 howitzers.

Ukrainian Armed Forces lose 450 military personnel in Avdeyevka direction over day

The total losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Avdeyevka direction over the day amounted to more than 450 military personnel, three infantry fighting vehicles.

"Units of the Center group of troops inflicted fire damage on manpower and equipment of the 24th, 27th, 47th, 53rd mechanized, and 59th motorized infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Ocheretino, Novoselovka Pervaya, Toretsk, and Novogrodovka in the Donetsk People's Republic. The enemy lost up to 450 military personnel, three infantry fighting vehicles, two armored combat vehicles and 18 vehicles," the statement said.

According to the ministry, during the counter-battery fight, the following were hit: a US-made M777 artillery system, a Czech-made RM-70 Vampire multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, and a US-made AN/TPQ-48 counter-battery radar station.

Russian troops defeated the manpower and equipment of four enemy brigades in the Kherson direction over the day; the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 55 military personnel, the ministry of added. "Units of the Dnepr group of troops defeated the manpower and equipment of the 65th mechanized, 128th mountain assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 15th and 23rd brigades of the National Guard in the areas of the settlements of Rabotino, Novopokrovka, Zherebyanki, Zaporozhye region and Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in the Kherson direction," the statement said.

The ministry noted that enemy losses reached up to 55 military personnel, six vehicles, a D-30 howitzer, and a Khortytsa electronic warfare station.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 300 military personnel, a tank, and the Strela anti-aircraft missile system in the Donetsk direction in one day.

"Units of the Southern Group of Forces, conducting active combat operations, occupied more advantageous positions along the front line in the Donetsk direction, defeated formations of the 81st airmobile, 79th airborne assault, 5th and 92nd assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in populated areas points of Belogorovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, Georgievka, Kleshcheevka, Krasnoye, Kurdyumivka and Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk People's Republic. Two counterattacks of assault groups of the 31st mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk People's Republic were repelled," the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 300 military personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, seven cars, a D-20 howitzer and a Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system. "In addition, a field ammunition warehouse of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed," the ministry noted.

Russian troops also repelled two counterattacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kupyansk direction over the day, while enemy losses amounted to up to 30 soldiers. "Units of the West Group of Forces repelled two counterattacks of the 32nd mechanized and 57th motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk direction in the area of the village of Sinkovka, Kharkov region. In addition, the manpower and equipment of the 60th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 103rd territorial defence brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Tabaevka, Kharkov region, and Terny, Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.

The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that enemy losses amounted to up to 30 military personnel, two vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, and two D-30 howitzers.

Yuzhny Donetsk direction

The Russian Armed Forces improved the tactical situation in the Yuzhny Donetsk direction and hit two brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"Units of the Vostok group of troops, as a result of active actions, improved the tactical situation in the Yuzhny Donetsk direction and inflicted fire damage on the manpower and equipment of the 127th Terrestrial Defense Brigade and the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Rovnopol and Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the statement said.

Russian troops destroy Ukrainian S-300 complex in DPR

The Russian armed forces destroyed the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Pokrovsk region in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

"Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of groupings of troops of the Russian Armed Forces destroyed the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the area of the village of Pokrovsk of the Donetsk People's Republic, ammunition depots of the 43rd artillery, 3rd assault, 47th mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the statement said.

Russian air defense systems alsi shot down 197 Ukrainian drones over the day; a MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was also destroyed, three HIMARS MLRS shells and a Hammer guided bomb were intercepted.

"Air defense systems in the area of the settlement of Krasnoarmeysk, Donetsk People’s Republic, shot down a MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force. Within 24 hours, three HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems made in the United States and a Hammer guided aerial bomb made in France were intercepted," the ministry said. Also, 197 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed, the ministry said.

Russia’s Center group of troops repelled two attacks and seven counterattacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces over the day in the Avdeyevka direction and more advantageous lines and positions were occupied.

"Units of the Center group of troops, as a result of coordinated actions, occupied more advantageous lines and positions in the Avdeyevka direction. Two attacks by assault groups of the 24th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled in the areas of the settlements of Druzhba and Shumy, as well as seven counterattacks of the 78th air assault, 47th, 53rd mechanized and 59th motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Orlovka, Petrovskoye, and Severnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Kherson direction

Russian troops defeated the manpower and equipment of four enemy brigades in the Kherson direction over the day; the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 55 military personnel.

"Units of the Dnepr group of troops defeated the manpower and equipment of the 65th mechanized, 128th mountain assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 15th and 23rd brigades of the National Guard in the areas of the settlements of Rabotino, Novopokrovka, Zherebyanki, Zaporozhye region and Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in the Kherson direction," the statement said.

The ministry noted that enemy losses reached up to 55 military personnel, six vehicles, a D-30 howitzer, and a Khortytsa electronic warfare station.

Zaporozhye region

The Russian military forces repelled several attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the village of Rabotino in the Zaporozhye regio, leader of the We Are Together With Russian movement Vladimir Rogov told TASS.

"The Russian forces repelled several attacks in Rabotino. The attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not stop, it’s wave after wave. The main problem is enemy drones. <...> It is very tense, but our people are holding their own," Rogov said.

On March 8, Rogov told TASS that the Russian military had improved their positions in the region, advancing in the Orekhovsky direction 1 km west of the village of Verbovoye to the village of Rabotino.