MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane in the Kharkov Region and intercepted a Tochka-U ballistic missile in the Lugansk People’s Republic in their special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.

"Russian air defense capabilities shot down a Su-25 plane of the Ukrainian Air Force in the area of the community of Mazanovka in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

The Russian air defense forces also intercepted a Ukrainian Tochka-U tactical missile near the town of Stakhanov in the Lugansk People’s Republic and 21 shells of the Uragan multiple launch rocket system near the communities of Chernobayevka and Sukhoi Stavok in the Kherson Region, Kamenka, Dolgenkoye and Maliye Prokhody in the Kharkov Region, Donetsk, Dokuchayevsk, Sukhaya Kamenka and Yasinovataya in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kopanki and Novozvanovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general specified.

The Russian air defense forces also shot down seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near the settlements of Tomina Balka and Sukhoi Stavok in the Kherson Region, Bolshiye Prokhody, Chistovodovka, Malaya Kamyshevakha, Kamenka and Zolotoye, the spokesman said.

Russian missile and artillery troops eliminated over 200 Ukrainian nationalists, 34 command posts and a Grad multiple launch rocket system in their special operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov said.

"The missile and artillery troops struck the following targets in the past 24 hours: 195 areas of amassed manpower and military equipment, 34 command posts and 42 firing positions of Ukrainian artillery and mortar units," the spokesman said.

The missile and artillery strikes eliminated over 200 Ukrainian nationalists, an electronic warfare station, three ammunition depots, six tanks and other combat armored vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, four field artillery guns, 18 special vehicles, and also two drone control posts in the areas of the communities of Zhovtnevoye and Kulbakino in the Nikolayev Region, the general specified.

The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered strikes by precision missiles to destroy two Ukrainian command posts, an electronic warfare station and a Tochka-U missile system in the Kharkov Region, Konashenkov reported.

"The strikes by air-launched precision missiles wiped out the following targets: two Ukrainian command posts, an electronic warfare station in the area of Pyatikhatka in the Kharkov Region, a launcher of the Tochka-U tactical missile system and an Uragan multiple rocket launcher in the area of Barvenkovo in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

Russian combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles destroyed three Ukrainian command posts, an armor repair point and a Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system in the past 24 hours in their special operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

"Operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles wiped out the following targets in the past 24 hours: 57 areas of amassed Ukrainian manpower and military hardware. They also destroyed three command posts and a Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system near the settlement of Rechka in the Sumy Region, and also a Ukrainian armor repair and recovery point near Kharkov," the spokesman said.

The air strikes obliterated two Ukrainian ammunition depots near Razdolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, five tanks and other combat armored vehicles, six field artillery guns and 11 special vehicles. In addition, the air strikes eliminated more than 280 Ukrainian nationalists, the general reported.

"Overall, the following targets have been eliminated since the start of the special military operation: 204 aircraft, 131 helicopters, 1,218 unmanned aerial vehicles, 340 surface-to-air missile systems, 3,569 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 526 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,968 field artillery guns and mortars and 3,647 special military motor vehicles," the spokesman said.