MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Russian forces conducted offensive operations and improved their tactical position in the Kupyansk area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"In the Kupyansk direction, assault teams of the western battlegroup conducted offensive operations in the assigned areas of responsibility and improved their tactical position," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate 170 Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian forces repelled four Ukrainian army attacks in the Kupyansk area, eliminating roughly 170 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The Ukrainian army’s losses totaled 170 personnel, a tank, five armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks, a US-made M777 artillery system and a D-20 howitzer," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, Russian forces supported by aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems repulsed four attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 67th mechanized, 68th jaeger, 25th airborne and 95th air assault brigades near Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region, Novoyegorovka and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general reported.

Russian forces eliminate 60 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area over past day

Russian forces eliminated roughly 60 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, units of the battlegroup Center using air strikes, artillery and heavy flamethrower fires repulsed two attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 21st mechanized brigade and 5th National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The enemy’s losses in the Krasny Liman direction over the past 24 hours amounted to "60 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks and a D-30 howitzer," the general reported.

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

Russian forces repulsed three Ukrainian army attacks in the Donetsk area, destroying roughly 180 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, units of the southern battlegroup, air strikes and artillery fire repelled three attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army near the settlements of Nevelskoye, Mayorsk and Kurdyumovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian army’s losses totaled 180 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery gun, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system, a D-20 howitzer and a D-30 howitzer," the spokesman said.

Ukraine’s army suffers 145 losses in south Donetsk area in past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the south Donetsk area, killing and wounding about 145 enemy troops and destroying a tank and a howitzer over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the south Donetsk direction, aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East struck amassed enemy manpower and hardware in areas near the settlements of Staromayorskoye and Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy’s losses totaled as many as 145 Ukrainian personnel killed and wounded, a tank, three motor vehicles and a US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer," the spokesman said.

Near the settlement of Rovnopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian forces neutralized two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups, the general reported.

Russian forces thwart four Ukrainian attacks in Zaporozhye area over past day

Russian forces repulsed four Ukrainian army attacks in the Zaporozhye area, destroying about 80 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Zaporozhye direction, four attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 65th mechanized brigade were repulsed by the skilled operations of units from the Russian battlegroup, air strikes and artillery fire near the settlements of Rabotino in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, Russian forces destroyed "as many as 80 Ukrainian personnel, four motor vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery gun, a German-manufactured Panzerhaubitze 2000 motorized artillery system, a D-30 gun, three US-made M119 howitzers and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-48 counter-battery radar station," the general reported.

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

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

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 20 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles and a Gvozdika motorized artillery system were destroyed as a result of damage inflicted by combined firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian air defenses destroy 18 Ukrainian combat drones over past day

Russian air defense forces intercepted a rocket of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed 18 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Air defense capabilities intercepted a rocket of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. In addition, they destroyed 18 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near the settlements of Shipilovka, Privolye and Makeyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Berestovoye and Kurdyumovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Chistopolye, Lyubimovka, Mirnoye and Inzhenernoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wipe out two Ukrainian army brigades’ command posts in DPR

Russian forces destroyed command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Near the settlements of Serebryanka and Dronovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two command posts of the Ukrainian army’s 67th mechanized and 81st air mobile brigades were destroyed," 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 143 areas, the general reported.

Russian forces also destroyed a P-18 air defense radar of the Ukrainian army in the area of the city of Zaporozhye, he said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 462 Ukrainian warplanes, 246 combat helicopters, 5,970 unmanned aerial vehicles, 431 surface-to-air missile systems, 11,457 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,144 multiple rocket launchers, 6,011 field artillery guns and mortars and 12,390 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.