MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Russian assault teams liberated three areas in Artyomovsk over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.
"In the Donetsk direction, assault teams liberated three areas in the northwestern, central and southwestern parts of the city of Artyomovsk in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Russian Airborne Force units sealed off Artyomovsk from its northern and southern outskirts, the general said.
"Operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the southern battlegroup continued providing support to the assault teams," Konashenkov reported.
Russian forces thwart Kiev’s attempts to counter-attack assault teams in Artyomovsk
Russian forces thwarted the Ukrainian army’s attempts to counter-attack assault teams in Artyomovsk and some settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic, he said.
"In the areas of the settlements of Stupochki and Krasnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and also in the northwestern and central parts of the city of Artyomovsk, the Ukrainian army’s attempts to counter-attack assault teams were thwarted. In the area of the settlement of Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 68th mechanized brigade was obliterated," the spokesman said.
Russian forces neutralize two Ukrainian subversive groups in Kupyansk area
Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area and neutralized two enemy subversive groups over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, assault and army aviation aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems from the western battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Kotlyarovka, Zagoruikovka, Ivanovka and Pershotravnevoye in the Kharkov Region. The activity of two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted," the spokesman said.
In the area of the settlement of Dvurechnaya, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 3rd tank brigade was obliterated and the enemy’s total losses in that direction during the last 24-hour period amounted to "over 120 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, and also a Grad multiple rocket launcher," the general reported.
Russian forces eliminate 75 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area
Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck Ukrainian army units in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating roughly 75 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Nevskoye and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
The enemy’s losses "totaled as many as 75 Ukrainian personnel, and also two armored combat vehicles," the general specified.
Russian forces destroy 380 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk advance
Russian forces destroyed roughly 380 Ukrainian troops in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the past 24 hours, the enemy’s losses totaled as many as 380 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, five armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery gun, a D-20 howitzer and also a Grad multiple rocket launcher," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminate about 120 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas
Russian forces eliminated roughly 120 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar and Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Chervonoye, Malaya Tokmachka and Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region, the spokesman specified.
"The enemy’s losses in those areas in the past 24 hours amounted to 120 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, and also a Msta-B howitzer," the general said.
Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian ammo depot in Kherson area
Russian forces destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Zmiyevka in the Kherson Region, an ammunition depot of the 126th territorial defense brigade was destroyed," the spokesman said.
In the Kherson area, Russian forces also destroyed roughly 30 Ukrainian troops and a motorized artillery system, the general said.
"In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian personnel, two motor vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery gun and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," Konashenkov reported.
Russia’s Aerospace Forces down three Ukrainian warplanes in past day
Russia’s Aerospace Forces shot down three Ukrainian warplanes over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down three Ukrainian Air Force planes in the past 24 hours. In particular, two Ukrainian MiG-29 planes were shot down near the settlements of Novoukrainka and Sergeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and a Ukrainian Su-25 plane was downed in the area of the settlement of Dolgenkoye in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.
Russian forces wipe out two Ukrainian subversive groups in DPR
Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian subversive groups in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the areas of the settlements of Vladimirovka and Neskuchnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups were neutralized," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroy Ukrainian army’s pontoon bridge in DPR
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian pontoon bridge across the Seversky Donets River in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Seversk Maliy in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a pontoon bridge pulled by the Ukrainian army across the Seversky Donets River was destroyed. In the area of the settlement of Avdeyevka, a command/observation post belonging to a battalion of the Ukrainian army’s 110th mechanized brigade was struck," the spokesman said.
During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 98 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 133 areas, the general reported.
In the area of the settlement of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a depot storing fuel for military hardware of the Ukrainian army’s 17th tank brigade was destroyed, Konashenkov added.
Russian air defenses down Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane over Ugledar
Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane over Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 plane in the area of the settlement of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In addition, during the last 24-hour period, they intercepted four rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Podo-Kalinovka in the Kherson Region, Komsomolskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Novoyegorovka, Ilyinka and Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 411 Ukrainian warplanes, 228 helicopters, 3,776 unmanned aerial vehicles, 415 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,732 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,089 multiple rocket launchers, 4,619 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,617 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.