MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Russian forces continued their offensive in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas, tightening their grip on Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.

"In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, units of the battlegroup East continued their offensive operations, taking new advantageous sites and inflicting damage by firepower on the troops of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade in the area of the community of Ugledar, and also the 108th territorial defense brigade near the communities of Prechistovka and Novosyolka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in those areas in the past 24 hours amounted to 65 personnel, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, a D-20 howitzer, three motor vehicles and two US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radars, the general specified.

Russian forces delivered a massive strike on January 26 on Ukrainian energy sites related to Ukraine’s military-industrial sector and transport system, Konashenkov reported.

"On January 26, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a massive missile strike by long-range air-and sea-based precision weapons and also by unmanned aerial vehicles against the energy sites providing for the operation of enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial sector and transport system," the spokesman said.

The goals of the massive strike were achieved, the general said.

"All the designated facilities were struck," Konashenkov stressed.

In particular, the massive strike disrupted the deliveries of armaments and ammunition, including NATO-supplied weapons, to the Ukrainian military in combat areas, the spokesman said.

"The operation of the production capacities for the repair and recovery of Ukrainian military equipment was disrupted," Konashenkov reported.

Russian artillery struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area, eliminating over 30 enemy troops in the past day, he said.

"In the Kupyansk direction, artillery of the western battlegroup inflicted damage by firepower on the personnel and equipment of units of the Ukrainian army’s 103rd territorial defense brigade near the community of Peschanoye and 14th mechanized brigade near the settlement of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

The strikes eliminated over 30 Ukrainian personnel, two motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system and a D-20 howitzer, the general specified.

Russian forces struck two Ukrainian army brigades in the Krasny Liman area, killing and wounding about 40 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

‘In the Krasny Liman direction, army aviation aircraft and artillery of the central battlegroup inflicted damage on units of the Ukrainian army’s 24th and 92nd mechanized brigades in areas near the settlements of Ostrovskoye in the Kharkov Region and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic. The enemy’s total losses amounted to 40 personnel killed and wounded, three armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, a D-20 howitzer and also a US-made M777 artillery system," the spokesman said.

In addition, a Ukrainian artillery ammunition depot was wiped out in the area of the settlement of Shchurovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general added.

Russian forces eliminated over 80 Ukrainian troops in their offensive in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, over 80 Ukrainian troops were eliminated as a result of successful offensive operations by the southern battlegroup," the spokesman said.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces also destroyed one Ukrainian tank, three infantry fighting vehicles, three pickup trucks, one D-20 howitzer, two D-30 howitzers, one Msta-B howitzer, and also a US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery gun and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar, the general specified.

Russian forces destroyed a Grad multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and a US-made M777 howitzer in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, a Grad MLRS, a US-made M777 artillery system and a Ukrainian artillery ammunition depot were obliterated in the counter-battery warfare," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed a radar station of a Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the Kharkov Region over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, operational-tactical aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 79 Ukrainian army units at firing positions, and also manpower and military hardware in 102 areas. In the area of the settlement of Senkovo in the Kharkov Region, a position was uncovered and a radar station of a Ukrainian S-300 surface-to-air missile system was destroyed," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane near Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Russian air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 plane in the area of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In the past 24 hours, they also destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region, Proletarka and Malaya Kardashinka in the Kherson Region, Mirnoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Kremennaya, Oborotnovka and Barannikovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Ugledar, Novomayorskoye and Nikolskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, Russian air defense systems intercepted 14 rockets of Olkha, Uragan and HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems in areas near the settlements of Popasnaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Vladimirovka, Valeryanovka and Komsomolsky in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Radensk in the Kherson Region," the general said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 380 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 204 helicopters, 2,967 unmanned aerial vehicles, 402 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,644 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 991 multiple rocket launchers, 3,932 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,191 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation, Konashenkov reported.