MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. Russian forces struck the deployment site of foreign mercenaries in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"In the area of the settlement of Memrik in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a temporary deployment site of a foreign mercenaries’ unit was struck," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 84 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 113 areas, the general said.

"In the area of the settlement of Dobrovolye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the command post of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade was struck," the spokesman said.

Russian forces inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower in the Kupyansk area, destroying over 40 enemy troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, artillery fire and active operations of units from the western battlegroup inflicted damage on the enemy manpower in areas near the settlements of Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Masyutovka in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed enemy manpower and equipment during the battles, the general said.

"The strikes eliminated over 40 Ukrainian servicemen and two pickup trucks," Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating over 135 enemy troops in the past day, he said.

"In the Krasny Liman area, offensive operations by units from the battlegroup Center, artillery and heavy flamethrower fire inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and equipment," the spokesman said.

"Over 135 Ukrainian personnel, an infantry fighting vehicle, four armored combat vehicles, two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed in that area in the past 24 hours," the general specified.

The Ukrainian military suffered roughly 250 casualties in the Donetsk area over the past day as a result of successful offensive operations by Russian forces, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk area, assault volunteer teams continue their successful offensive operations with the support of units from the Tula Airborne Force formation, assault aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces and also strikes by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the southern battlegroup. The enemy’s losses in that area in the past 24 hours amounted to 250 Ukrainian personnel killed and wounded," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also destroyed five Ukrainian armored combat vehicles, six motor vehicles and a D-20 howitzer, the general added.

"In addition, in the area of the settlement of Katerinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 68th infantry jaeger brigade was obliterated," Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces eliminated over 60 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk area in the past day, he said.

"In the southern Donetsk area, artillery of the battlegroup East delivered a massive strike on the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar and Prechistovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The strike eliminated as many as 65 Ukrainian servicemen," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also destroyed a Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, a D-20 howitzer and a D-30 howitzer in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces destroyed ammunition depots of two Ukrainian brigades in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson area, two D-30 howitzers were destroyed in counter-battery fire. In addition, in the areas of the settlements of Antonovka and Chernobayevka in the Kherson Region, ammunition depots of the 123rd and 126th territorial defense brigades were wiped out," the spokesman said.

Russia’s Aerospace Forces struck the workshop in the city of Sumy that produced and repaired heavy mortars and ammunition rounds for the Ukrainian army, Konashenkov reported.

"The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a strike in the area of the city of Sumy, wiping out the workshop that produced and repaired heavy mortars and ammunition for the Ukrainian army," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces destroyed nine HIMARS rockets and ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities shot down nine rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, and also destroyed ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Antonovka in the Kherson Region, Krasnorechenskoye, Rubezhnoye, Pshenichnoye, Kremennaya, Chervonopopovka and Zaliman in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Nikolskoye and Vladimirovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Tokarevka in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 386 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 210 helicopters, 3,213 unmanned aerial vehicles, 405 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,979 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,037 multiple rocket launchers, 4,179 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,494 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, the general specified.