MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Russian fighter aircraft shot down a Ukrainian Su-24 frontline bomber and a Mi-8 helicopter over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.
"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 plane near the settlement of Mikhailovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Also, a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was downed near the community of Kurakhovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area, eliminating over 50 enemy troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, army aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the western battlegroup inflicted damage on the enemy’s units," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminated "over 50 Ukrainian personnel and two motor vehicles" in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.
Russian forces struck Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating roughly 160 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, active operations by units of the battlegroup Center, air strikes, artillery and heavy flamethrower fire inflicted damage on the Ukrainian manpower and equipment in areas near the settlements of Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Nevskoye, Chervonopopovka and Kuzmino in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
As many as 160 Ukrainian personnel, seven armored combat vehicles and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery gun were destroyed in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.
Russian forces supported by combat aircraft and artillery eliminated roughly 270 Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Donetsk direction, about 270 Ukrainian personnel, six infantry fighting vehicles, three armored combat vehicles, nine motor vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery gun and also Msta-B and D-30 howitzers were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of active operations by units of the southern battlegroup, air strikes and artillery fire," the spokesman said.
In the area of the settlement of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian forces wiped out the Ukrainian army’s communications center and an ammunition depot of Ukraine’s 110th mechanized brigade, the general added.
Russian forces delivered a massive strike on the Ukrainian army units near Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic and in the Zaporozhye Region, eliminating roughly 80 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas, operational/tactical aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East used combined firepower to inflict damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Malaya Tokmachka and Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.
The enemy lost "as many as 80 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks and also Msta-B and D-30 howitzers in those areas in the past 24 hours," the general specified.
Russian forces eliminated roughly 80 Ukrainian troops and a Msta-B howitzer in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kherson direction, air strikes and artillery fire eliminated as many as 80 Ukrainian personnel, 30 motor vehicles and a Msta-B howitzer in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.
In addition, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 123rd territorial defense brigade was destroyed near the community of Tokarevka in the Kherson Region, the general added.
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot in the Kharkov Region over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Krasnoye Pervoye in the Kharkov Region, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 14th mechanized brigade was obliterated," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system and an S-300 radar over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 89 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and hardware in 195 areas. In the area of the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a Ukrainian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile system was destroyed. In addition, a guidance radar of an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system was destroyed in the area of the city of Nikopol in the Dnepropetrovsk Region," the spokesman said.
Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack aircraft and 14 unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 plane near the community of Krynki in the Kherson Region. In addition, in the past 24 hours, they shot down a rocket of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed 14 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Chugunovka in the Kharkov Region, Peski, Yakovlevka, Mineralnoye and Zavitne Bazhannya in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Golaya Pristan, Kazachyi Lageri and Zburyevka in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 393 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 212 helicopters, 3,295 unmanned aerial vehicles, 407 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,105 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,045 multiple rocket launchers, 4,247 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,665 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.