MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. Russian naval aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed four US-made Willard Sea Force speedboats carrying Ukrainian special operations forces in the northwest of the Black Sea overnight, Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russian drones also struck a Ukrainian shipyard that makes uncrewed sea vehicles, the ministry said in a daily bulletin of the special military operation.

Donetsk area

Russian forces repelled three Ukrainian attacks near Artyomovsk and Severny, causing the enemy to lose up to 285 troops.

"In the Donetsk area, units of the battlegroup South employed aircraft strikes, fire from artillery and heavy flame-throwing systems to repel three attacks of Ukrainian assault groups in the area of the settlements of Artyomovsk and Severnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Battles in this area caused the enemy to lose up to 285 Ukrainian servicemen as killed and wounded," the ministry said.

Ukrainian forces also lost five armored fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, Gvozdika and US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery systems and two US-made M105 howitzers.

Zaporozhye area

Russian forces made efforts to improve their tactical posture near Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region and repelled a Ukrainian counterattack over the past day.

"In the Zaporozhye area, units of the Russian battlegroup, supported by aircraft, artillery and heavy flame-throwing systems, conducted intense efforts to improve their tactical posture in the area of the settlements of Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region, and repelled a counterattack of an assault unit from the Ukrainian 82nd Assault Brigade," the ministry said.

The enemy lost more than 115 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored fighting vehicles, four, otor vehicles, two M777 artillery systems, two US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers and two M119 howitzers, as well as two D-30 artillery guns and one D-20 artillery guns.

Kupyansk area

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup West repulsed four counterattacks by Ukrainian armed forces over the past day, eliminating up to 60 Ukrainian troops.

"In the Kupyansk area, Battlegroup West units, aviation and artillery strikes deflected four counterattacks by assault groups from the Ukrainian army’s 32nd and 43rd mechanized brigades north of the population center of Sverdlovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic. Additionally, strikes were delivered on Ukrainian troops and hardware in the vicinity of the population centers of Vyshe-Solenoye, Ivanovka, Timkovka, Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region and Novoselovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Up to 60 Ukrainian troops and three vehicles and a Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer were eliminated over the past day.

Krasny Liman area

Russian forces eliminated up to 40 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area over the past day.

"In the Krasny Liman area, units of the battlegroup Center, together with aviation and artillery, delivered a strike on the groups of manpower and hardware from the Ukrainian army’s 63rd and 67th mechanized brigades and 12th special operations brigade in the vicinity of the population centers of Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Repiblic as well as near the Serebryanskoye forestry. Up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen have been eliminated, as well as three pickup trucks and a D-30 howitzer," the ministry said.

South of the Donetsk People’s Republic

Russian units struck Ukrainian troops near the Novomikhailovka and Urozhaynoye settlements with air strikes and multiple launch rocket systems using thermobaric warheads in the South of the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters.

"In the South Donetsk area, the battlegroup East inflicted damage to Ukrainian units in the Novomikhailovka and Urozhaynoye areas of the Donetsk People’s Republic with air strikes, artillery fire and multiple rocket launchers with thermobaric warheads," the ministry said. "The losses of the enemy amounted to more than 120 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored fighting vehicles and nine motor vehicles," the ministry said.

Russian units also destroyed an ammunition depot of the 79th Ukrainian airborne assault brigade.

Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot and up to 35 servicemen in the Kherson area over the past day.

"In the Kherson area, the Russian units destroyed up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, eight vehicles, US-made M777 artillery system, as well as a Msta-B howitzer. An ammunition depot of the 124th territorial defense brigade was hit near the settlement of Ponyatovka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

Russian forces have delivered strikes on two missile and artillery depots of the Ukrainian army in the Zaporozhye Region over the past day.

"Additionally, two missile/artillery arms depots of the Ukrainian army’s 118th mechanized and 82nd air assault brigades were hit near the Verkhnyaya Tersa population center in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

Russian tactical and army aviation, rocket forces and artillery have delivered strikes on Ukrainian personnel and equipment in 126 districts over the past day.

The Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter near the Brusovka settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

"The fighter aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces downed an Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the area of the DPR’s Brusovka settlement," the ministry said.

Russian electronic warfare systems destroyed and suppressed 24 Ukrainian drones over the past day.

"Electronic warfare means destroyed and suppressed 24 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the vicinity of Volcheyarovka and Shipilovka settlements of the Lugansk People’s Republic, Berestovoe, Vodyanoe and Spornoe of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Skelevatoye, Pshenichnoye and Ocherevatoye of the Zaporozhye Region and Proletarka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.