MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces shot down eight Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and intercepted six HIMARS and Uragan rockets in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities shot down eight Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of the settlements of Melovatka, Ploshchanka and Nizhnyaya Duvanka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Volnovakha and Nikolayevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Priyutnoye in the Zaporozhye Region and Kairy in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense systems also intercepted six rockets of HIMARS and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems in areas near the communities of Sladkoye and Debaltsevo in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Lyubimovka in the Zaporozhye Region, the general added.

Russian air defense forces shot down four American HARM missiles of the Ukrainian army in the Belgorod Region, Konashenkov reported.

"In the airspace of the Belgorod Region, four American HARM anti-radar missiles were shot down," the spokesman said.

Russian forces struck Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in 139 areas and destroyed 56 enemy artillery units at firing positions in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The strikes destroyed 56 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 139 areas," the spokesman said.

Russian artillery delivered strikes at amassed Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Kupyansk area, destroying over 20 militants in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, over 20 Ukrainian troops, an infantry fighting vehicle and two motor vehicles were destroyed as a result of Russian artillery strikes at the amassed Ukrainian manpower and military hardware in the area of the settlements of Ivanovka in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wiped out four Ukrainian subversive groups in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, artillery strikes inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units amassed in the areas of the settlements of Stelmakhovka and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and in the area of the Serebryansky forestry. In addition, four Ukrainian subversive groups were eliminated in the area of the community of Rozovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that area amounted to 70 soldiers, two combat armored vehicles and two pickup trucks, the general specified.

Russian forces gained more advantageous positions in their advance in the Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops assumed more advantageous frontiers," the spokesman said.

Russian artillery thwarted an enemy attack to reconnoiter the Russian troop positions by gunfire near the communities of Spornoye, Novgorodskoye, Vodyanoye, Leninskoye and Nevelskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general said.

"In the past 24 hours, over 130 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, three combat armored vehicles and three motor vehicles were destroyed in the Donetsk area," Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces delivered strikes at the Ukrainian army’s brigades attempting to attack in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, he said.

"In the southern Donetsk area, artillery fire and active operations by Russian troops inflicted damage on company tactical groups of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade and 108th territorial defense brigade making unsuccessful attempts to attack in the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Vladimirovka and Novosyolka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The enemy’s total losses in that area in the past 24 hours amounted to 80 personnel killed and wounded, two combat armored vehicles and three pickup trucks, the general specified.

Russian forces struck a temporary deployment site of the battlegroup of the Ukrainian Special Operations Command South in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Russian operational-tactical aircraft, missile troops and artillery struck the temporary deployment sites of the Ukrainian army’s 61st infantry jaeger brigade and 124th territorial defense brigade, and also the battlegroup of the Special Operations Command South in areas near the settlements of Konstantinopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Kherson and Veletenskoye in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminated two Ukrainian subversive groups in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Nikolskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two Ukrainian subversive groups were eliminated," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 344 Ukrainian warplanes, 184 helicopters, 2,684 unmanned aerial vehicles, 398 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,159 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,691 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,664 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.