MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. Russian Airborne Force units blocked Soledar from the north and the south and are battling Ukrainian troops in the town, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"Airborne Force units have blocked Soledar from the town’s northern and southern parts. The Russian Aerospace Forces are delivering strikes at enemy strongholds. Assault groups are engaged in a battle in the town," the spokesman said.

Russian forces struck 74 Ukrainian artillery units over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

"Operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery struck a battalion command and observation post of the Ukrainian army’s 57th motorized infantry brigade near the town of Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Also, 74 Ukrainian artillery units, manpower and military hardware were struck in 113 areas over the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.

Russian forces delivered strikes at amassed manpower of two Ukrainian army brigades in the Kupyansk area, destroying over 30 militants in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk area, artillery and army aviation strikes at amassed manpower of the Ukrainian army’s 92nd mechanized brigade and 103rd territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka and Kislovka in the Kharkov Region, and also Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic eliminated over 30 Ukrainian servicemen and two motor vehicles," the spokesman said.

The Ukrainian military suffered roughly 90 casualties in the Krasny Liman area over the past day as a result of damage inflicted by Russian artillery and combat aircraft, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman area, artillery fire, assault and army aviation strikes inflicted damage on the assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 95th and 80th air assault brigades and 25th airborne brigade in areas near the settlements of Torskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Chervonaya Dibrova, Makeyevka and Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian troops also eliminated four Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups in the Lugansk People’s Republic and in the Serebryansky forestry. In all, the enemy lost as many as 90 troops killed and wounded, two armored fighting vehicles and three motor vehicles in that area over the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces liberated the community of Podgorodnoye southwest of Soledar in the Donetsk area, eliminating about 80 Ukrainian troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk area, Russian troops liberated the community of Podgorodnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of successful offensive operations," the spokesman said.

As a result of battles in that area, Russian troops destroyed as many as 80 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, three armored fighting vehicles and two motor vehicles of the Ukrainian army’s 61st mechanized and 17th tank brigades, the general specified.

Russian troops eliminated roughly 25 Ukrainian militants as a result of strikes on enemy forces by combined firepower in the southern Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk area, as many as 25 Ukrainian servicemen, an infantry fighting vehicle and two motor vehicles were destroyed as a result of damage inflicted on Ukrainian army units by combined firepower in areas near the settlements of Nikolskoye, Prechistovka and Novosyolka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-27 plane in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 plane near the community of Popov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian troops destroyed two US-made counter-battery radars of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In addition, AN/TPQ-50 and AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar stations of US manufacture were destroyed in the areas of the towns of Artyomovsk and Dzerzhinsk," the spokesman said.

Russian troops also destroyed a Ukrainian Uragan rocket launcher near Kotovka in the Kharkov Region, two Ukrainian 2S7 Pion self-propelled cannons near Raigorodok in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a D-20 towed howitzer near Kolodezi in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two D-30 howitzers near Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region and Pobeda in the Donetsk People’s Republic and a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer near Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general specified.

Russian forces destroyed a US-made M777 howitzer in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the counter-battery warfare, an M777 artillery system of US manufacture was destroyed at firing positions near the community of Belogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces intercepted five HIMARS and Olkha rockets in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities intercepted five rockets of HIMARS and Olkha multiple launch rocket systems in areas near the communities of Debaltsevo and Yenakiyevo in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kartamyshevo in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, Russian air defense systems destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the communities of Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, and also shot down an American HARM anti-radar missile near the settlement of Bryanka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general added.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 371 Ukrainian warplanes, 200 helicopters, 2,868 unmanned aerial vehicles, 400 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,473 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 976 multiple rocket launchers, 3,809 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,006 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.