MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Over the past day, Russian air defense systems shot down 18 unmanned aerial vehicles, intercepted 3 HIMARS shells of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Friday.

"Air defense systems intercepted three HIMARS multiple launch rocket system shells over the day. Furthermore, 18 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down around the settlements of Dvurechnoye in the Kharkov region, Golikovo, Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, Slavnoe, Novoandreevka, Volnovakha, Nikolskoe, and Aleksandrovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said.

Since the start of the special military operation, 404 aircraft, 224 helicopters, 3,562 unmanned aerial vehicles, 414 anti-aircraft missile systems, 8,392 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,072 combat vehicles of multiple launch rocket systems, and 4,424 field guns and mortars, as well as 9,091 special military vehicles have been destroyed, according to Konashenkov.

He also added that Russian forces destroyed over 40 Ukrainian troops and a Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine. "In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, operational/tactical aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East struck the Ukrainian army units near the settlements of Ugledar, Novomilhailovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugovskoye and Shcherbaki in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry spokesman said.

"The enemy’s losses in the past 24 hours amounted to over 40 Ukrainian personnel, two pickup trucks, a D-30 howitzer as well as a Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer," the general said.