MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. Russian assault groups improved their tactical position and repulsed four Ukrainian army attacks and counter-attacks in the Kupyansk area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.

"In the Kupyansk direction, assault teams of the western battlegroup capitalizing on the results of air strikes and artillery fire continued offensive operations on a wide front and improved their tactical position in areas near the settlements of Olshana and Pershotravnevoye in the Kharkov Region. In their active defense, they successfully repulsed four attacks and counter-attacks by units of the Ukrainian army’s 32nd, 41st, 44th and 67th mechanized brigades in areas near the settlements of Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Sinkovka and the Mankovka natural area in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

The Ukrainian military lost over 165 troops, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer and two US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar stations in the Kupyansk direction over the past 24 hours, the general reported.

Russian forces repel two Ukrainian attacks in Krasny Liman area over past day

Russian forces repelled two Ukrainian army attacks in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating roughly 115 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, two attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 68th infantry and 42nd mechanized brigades were successfully repelled by well-coordinated operations of units from the battlegroup Center, army aviation strikes, artillery and heavy flamethrower fires near the settlements of Novoyegorovka and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The enemy’s losses in that direction in the past 24 hours amounted to "115 Ukrainian personnel, three armored combat vehicles and a D-20 howitzer," the general reported.

Russian forces eliminate 180 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces eliminated roughly 180 Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"As many as 180 Ukrainian personnel, seven infantry fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, a Strela-10 surface-to-air missile launcher, a US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system and two D-20 howitzers were destroyed in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also "repelled five attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 10th mountain assault, 79th air assault, 59th motorized infantry and 3rd tank brigades near the settlements of Nevelskoye, Belogorovka, Staromikhailovka, Maloilyinovka and Vesyoloye in the Donetsk People’s Republic" in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, the general reported.

Russian forces repel Ukrainian army attacks in south Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces repelled several Ukrainian army attacks in the south Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the south Donetsk direction, aircraft, artillery and units of the battlegroup East thwarted an enemy attempt to conduct reconnaissance by fire near the settlement of Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Three attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade and 38th marine infantry brigade were successfully repelled near the settlements of Nikolskoye and Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed about 35 Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles and a D-30 howitzer in the south Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, the general reported.

Russian forces repulse three Ukrainian attacks in Zaporozhye area over past day

Russian forces repulsed three Ukrainian army attacks in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Zaporozhye direction, three attacks by units of the Ukrainian army’s 21st mechanized brigade were repulsed by active operations of forces from the Russian battlegroup, air strikes and artillery fire near the settlements of Uspenovka and Rabotino in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

"The enemy’s losses in that direction amounted to 60 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles and a D-30 howitzer," the general reported.

Russian forces strike foreign mercenaries’ deployment site in Zaporozhye

Russian forces struck a foreign mercenaries’ deployment site in the city of Zaporozhye over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the city of Zaporozhye, a foreign mercenaries’ temporary deployment site was struck. In addition, four ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army’s 24th, 43rd and 60th mechanized brigades and 108th territorial defense brigade were destroyed near the settlements of Toretsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Cherneshchina and Liptsy in the Kharkov Region and Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy 20 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area over past day

Russian forces destroyed roughly 20 Ukrainian troops in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"As many as 20 Ukrainian personnel, two pickup trucks, a US-made M777 artillery system, a D-20 howitzer and a Gvozdika motorized artillery system were destroyed in the Kherson direction as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian air defenses intercept two US-made HIMARS rockets in Ukraine operation

Russian air defense forces intercepted two rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and shot down 16 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Air defense capabilities intercepted two HIMARS rockets. In addition, they shot down 16 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region, Lisichansk in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Artyomovsk and Volnovakha in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Orekhov and Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and military hardware in 139 areas, the general reported.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 458 Ukrainian warplanes, 245 combat helicopters, 5,654 unmanned aerial vehicles, 429 surface-to-air missile systems, 11,230 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,144 multiple rocket launchers, 5,847 field artillery guns and mortars and 12,176 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.