MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter, three HIMARS rockets and one US-made HARM anti-radiation missile over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.
"Russian air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter near the community of Nikolskoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.
"In addition, in the past 24 hours, they destroyed nine unmanned aerial vehicles near the settlements of Golikovo, Preobrazhennoye, Kuzemovka, Ploshchanka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Orlinskoye, Volodino and Alexandrovka in in the Donetsk People’s Republic and intercepted two rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and one US-made HARM anti-radiation missile," Konashenkov reported.
Russia’s special military operation
On February 21, 2022, President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, (the DPR and LPR respectively). Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions as of the beginning of 2014.
Russian President Putin announced on February 24, 2022, that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics for assistance, he had decided to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The DPR and the LPR launched an operation to liberate their territories under Kiev’s control.
From September 23 to September 27, 2022, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia.
On September 30, 2022, President Putin and the heads of the DPR, the LPR, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions signed treaties on their entry to Russia. Later, the State Duma and the Federation Council (the lower and upper houses of Russia’s parliament) approved legislation on ratifying these treaties, as well as federal constitutional laws on the accession of the four regions to Russia.