MELITOPOL, August 18. /TASS/. Russian forces destroyed roughly 170 Ukrainian troops, two artillery guns and six armored vehicles in the Zaporozhye area over the past night, acting Zaporozhye Region Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said on Friday.

"Over the past night alone, the enemy’s losses in the Zaporozhye direction amounted to 169 personnel killed while two artillery guns, six armored vehicles and 10 drones were completely destroyed," the regional head said on his Telegram channel.

The Ukrainian army’s active operations can be attributed to the approaching celebration of Ukraine’s Independence Day next week, Balitsky explained.

"The results of the enemy’s nightly movement in our direction: the Ukrainian army’s attempt to 'storm' again resulted in its huge losses. These are all sacred sacrifices by the Kiev leadership in the run-up to the so-called Day of Nezalezhnost [Independence]. They must justify with blood their Western handlers’ financing and the deliveries of decommissioned European armaments," the acting regional governor said.

As Russia’s Defense Ministry reported, the Ukrainian military has been unsuccessfully attempting to advance since June 4. According to the ministry’s latest data, the Ukrainian military lost over 43,000 troops and about 5,000 various armaments, including 26 warplanes and 25 Leopard tanks in the past two months. Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Ukrainian troops had failed to achieve success in any of the frontline areas.