GENICHESK, July 12. /TASS/. Russian forces destroyed a US-made M777 howitzer and a Gvozdika motorized artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, a spokesman for the regional emergency services reported on Wednesday.

"In the past 24 hours, a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system was destroyed near the settlement of Pervomaiskoye in the island zone along with ammunition and a crew of five Ukrainian militants as a result of damage by firepower inflicted by units of the battlegroup Dnepr," the spokesman said.

In the Kherson direction, Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian fire emplacement, two 120mm mortars with their crews and ammunition near the settlement of Antonovka. In addition, they wiped out a US-made M777 howitzer near the settlement of Molodyozhnoye, the spokesman said.

In the Kakhovka direction, Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian position with six soldiers and one vehicle. Seven other Ukrainian soldiers were wounded, he specified.