MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces intercepted eight HIMARS and Olkha rockets in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.
"Air defense capabilities intercepted eight rockets of HIMARS and Olkha multiple launch rocket systems in the areas of the settlements of Svatovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Novoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Zelyony Gai and Zhdanovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian air defense systems also shot down three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of the communities of Zhitlovka and Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and the city of Donetsk, the general added.
Russian forces delivered fire by artillery and heavy flamethrowers, thwarting a Ukrainian army attack in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the Kupyansk area and eliminating over 60 militants in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, preemptive fire by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems and strikes by army aviation aircraft thwarted an enemy attempt to advance towards the settlement of Kuzyomovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
During the combat, Russian forces eliminated over 60 Ukrainian troops, 6 tanks, 5 combat armored vehicles and 4 armored vehicles, the general specified.
Russian forces inflicted damage by firepower on a Ukrainian army tactical group attempting to advance in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the Krasny Liman area, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, damage by firepower was inflicted on a Ukrainian company tactical group in the area of the settlement of Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic. In addition, artillery fire and strikes by army aviation aircraft thwarted an enemy attack to advance towards the settlement of Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
The enemy’s losses in that area in the past 24 hours amounted to 20 military personnel killed and wounded, one tank and four combat armored vehicles, the general specified.
Russian forces eliminated over 40 Ukrainian troops in liberating the community of Andreyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Donetsk area, the settlement of Andreyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic was fully liberated as a result of offensive operations by Russian troops. Over 40 Ukrainian troops, two tanks and five combat armored vehicles were destroyed," the spokesman said.
Russian forces repelled all the Ukrainian army’s counter-attacks in the southern Donetsk area, pushing the enemy back to initial positions in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the southern Donetsk area, Ukrainian army units unsuccessfully attempted to counter-attack the Russian troop positions in the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka and Vladimirovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. As a result of damage inflicted by firepower and active operations by Russian units, all the counter-attacks were repelled. The enemy was pushed back to initial positions," the spokesman said.
During the combat, Russian forces eliminated as many as 30 Ukrainian military personnel, four infantry fighting vehicles and three pickup trucks, the general specified.
Russian forces hit three foreign mercenaries’ deployment sites in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile and artillery troops hit three temporary deployment sites of foreign mercenaries’ units in the area of the settlement of Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian troops also wiped out 85 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 162 areas, the general specified.
Russian forces wiped out a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system with the ammunition load and the crew in counter-battery fire in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the counter-battery warfare, a US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher was obliterated together with the ammunition load and the crew in the area of the settlement of Orekhovatka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
In addition, Russian forces crippled two US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radars of the Ukrainian army in the areas of the settlements of Krivaya Luka and Markovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general added.
Russian forces destroyed three missile and artillery armament depots of the Ukrainian army in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the areas of the settlements of Volnoye Pole in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region, three missile/artillery armament and ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army were destroyed," the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 334 Ukrainian warplanes, 177 helicopters, 2,592 unmanned aerial vehicles, 391 surface-to-air missile systems, 6,930 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 905 multiple rocket launchers, 3,642 field artillery guns and mortars, and also 7,431 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.