MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russian forces destroyed two radar stations of the Ukrainian army, including a US-made radar, over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.
"In the area of the settlement of Mirnoye in the Kharkov Region, a position was uncovered and a Ukrainian 36D6 low-altitude target detection radar was destroyed. In addition, a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar was obliterated near the community of Redkodub in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery struck 82 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 112 areas, the general specified.
Battles in Kupyansk direction
Russian forces struck Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Kupyansk area, eliminating over 40 enemy troops and an ammunition depot over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, aircraft and artillery of the western battlegroup struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Dvurechnoye and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region and Artyomovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
The strikes eliminated enemy manpower and equipment, the general said.
"The enemy’s losses totaled over 40 Ukrainian personnel, an armored combat vehicle, two motor vehicles, and also an ammunition depot of the 113th territorial defense brigade," Konashenkov reported.
Battles in Krasny Liman direction
Russian forces destroyed over 70 Ukrainian troops, an infantry fighting vehicle and a howitzer in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, he said.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, active operations by units of the battlegroup Center, air strikes and artillery fire inflicted damage on the enemy manpower and equipment near the settlements of Terny and Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminated over 70 Ukrainian personnel, an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored combat vehicle, three pickup trucks, a motor vehicle and a D-30 howitzer in that direction in the past 24 hours, the general specified.
Battles in Donetsk direction
Russian forces destroyed about 135 Ukrainian troops in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Donetsk direction, as many as 135 Ukrainian troops were eliminated in the past 24 hours near the settlements of Semyonovka, Petrovskoye and Tonenkoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of active operations by units of the southern battlegroup and artillery fire," the spokesman said.
Russian forces also destroyed three Ukrainian armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, a motor vehicle, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, a D-30 howitzer, and also an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 53rd mechanized brigade in the Donetsk area over the past 24 hours, the general added.
Battles in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye directions
Russian forces eliminated roughly 65 Ukrainian troops and two D-20 howitzers in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units near Ugledar and Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.
"The enemy’s total losses in those directions amounted to 65 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, three motor vehicles and two D-20 howitzers," the general said.
Battles in Kherson direction
Russian forces eliminated about 25 Ukrainian troops and an Akatsiya artillery gun in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kherson direction, as many as 25 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, ten motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system were destroyed as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.
Russian air defenses intercept five US-made HIMARS rockets
Russian air defense forces intercepted five rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, a Tochka-U ballistic missile and destroyed 14 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities intercepted five rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and a Tochka-U tactical missile. In the past 24 hours, they also destroyed 14 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near the settlements of Korsunka and Golaya Pristan in the Kherson Region, Rubezhnoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Kotlyarovka and Olshana in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 402 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 221 helicopters, 3,448 unmanned aerial vehicles, 414 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,326 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,064 multiple rocket launchers, 4,377 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,985 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.