MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Russian forces have destroyed 500 Ukrainian combat aircraft and more than 250 helicopters since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"In all, the following targets have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation: 500 aircraft, 252 helicopters, 8,104 unmanned aerial vehicles, 441 surface-to-air missile systems, 12,778 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,165 multiple rocket launchers, 6,837 field artillery guns and mortars and 14,463 special military motor vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.

Russian forces destroy 12 Ukrainian combat aircraft over past week

Russian forces destroyed 12 Ukrainian combat aircraft over the week of October 14-20, including seven enemy warplanes in the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.

"Fighter aircraft and air defense forces destroyed 12 airplanes over the past week by their effective operations, among them 10 MiG-29s [fighter jets] and two Su-25 attack aircraft, and also two Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopters," the ministry said.

In the last 24 hours alone, Russian air defense capabilities shot down seven Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters, the ministry reported.

Russian forces improve forward edge positions in Kupyansk area over week

Russian forces repelled 61 Ukrainian counterattacks in the Kupyansk area and improved their forward edge positions over the past week, the ministry reported.

"Air strikes and artillery fire inflicted damage on the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 25th airborne, 14th, 43rd, 44th and 115th mechanized, 68th jaeger and 95th air assault brigades in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka, Ivanovka and Timkovka in the Kharkov Region and Makeyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic. The Russian battlegroup’s units improved their forward edge positions as a result of combat operations," the ministry said.

Professional operations by units of Russia’s western battlegroup helped repulse 61 Ukrainian counterattacks over the reporting period, it said.

"The enemy’s losses over the reporting period amounted to over 995 personnel, 10 tanks, 27 armored combat vehicles, 20 motor vehicles and 18 field artillery guns," the ministry reported.

Russian forces repulse 18 Ukrainian attacks in Krasny Liman area over week

Russian forces repulsed 18 Ukrainian army attacks in the Krasny Liman area, destroying more than 940 enemy troops and 42 pieces of military hardware over the past week, the ministry reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, units of the battlegroup Center, aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems repulsed 18 attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 63rd and 67th mechanized brigades and 12th special operations brigade over the past week," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Krasny Liman direction over the past week amounted to "over 940 personnel, two tanks, 21 armored combat vehicles, 14 motor vehicles and five artillery guns," the ministry specified.

Russian forces destroy over 2,000 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk area over week

Russian forces destroyed over 2,000 Ukrainian troops, four tanks and 14 armored vehicles in the Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, units of Russia’s southern battlegroup inflicted damage on combat groups of the Ukrainian army’s 28th, 56th, 67th and 93rd mechanized brigades in areas near the settlements of Kurdyumovka, Andreyevka, Kleshcheyevka and Maryinka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Over the past week, they repulsed 25 enemy attacks in that direction. The Ukrainian army’s losses in that direction amounted to 2,065 personnel, four tanks, 14 armored combat vehicles, 27 motor vehicles and 28 field artillery guns," the ministry said.

Russian combat aircraft and missile troops also wiped out five Ukrainian ammunition and military hardware depots in the Donetsk area over the past week, it said.

Russian forces destroy over 1,010 Ukrainian troops in south Donetsk area in past week

Russian forces destroyed over 1,010 Ukrainian troops and nine armored combat vehicles and gained advantageous positions in the south Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported.

"In the south Donetsk direction, Russian units gained more advantageous frontiers and positions and repulsed two attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 58th motorized infantry, 72nd mechanized and 128th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Ugledar, Urozhainoye and Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Over the week of October 14-20, the enemy lost over 1,010 Ukrainian personnel, nine armored combat vehicles, 19 motor vehicles, 8 field artillery guns and a multiple rocket launcher in the south Donetsk area, the ministry specified.

Russian forces repel 10 Ukrainian attacks in Zaporozhye area over week

Russian forces repelled ten Ukrainian army attacks in the Zaporozhye area over the past week, the ministry reported.

"In the Zaporozhye direction, Russian units conducted active defense operations, repelling ten enemy attacks in areas near the settlements of Verbovoye and Rabotino in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

The enemy’s losses in the Zaporozhye direction over the past week amounted to over 475 Ukrainian personnel, 11 tanks, 22 armored combat vehicles, 18 motor vehicles and 14 field artillery guns, the ministry specified.

Russian forces eliminate 345 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area over week

Russian forces eliminated roughly 345 Ukrainian troops and 11 field artillery guns in the Kherson area over the past week, the ministry reported.

"In the Kherson direction, the enemy made a series of unsuccessful attempts by forces of the 36th and 38th marine infantry brigades to seize bridgeheads on islands and on the left bank of the Dnieper River. As a result of pre-emptive strikes by Russian troops and artillery barrages, the Ukrainian army lost as many as 345 personnel, 11 field artillery guns, 48 boats and 38 motor vehicles," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses intercept 35 US-made HIMARS rockets over week

Russian air defense forces intercepted 35 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, two S-200 missiles, six American JDAM smart bombs and destroyed 314 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past week, the ministry reported.

"Over the week, air defense capabilities destroyed 314 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and intercepted 35 HIMARS rockets, five tactical missiles, two S-200 missiles converted into strike weapons and six JDAM guided air bombs," the ministry said.

Russian forces deliver 4 multiple-launch strikes on Ukrainian military sites over week

Russian forces delivered four multiple-launch strikes on Ukrainian military sites, destroying a naval drone depot, a missile assembly workshop and units of the Azov formation (outlawed in Russia as a terror group) over the past week, the ministry reported.

"Over the period of October 14-20, Russian forces delivered four multiple-launch strikes by high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against missile/artillery armament, fuel and lubricants depots, production workshops of enterprises rolling out armament and military hardware and deployment sites of Ukrainian troops, nationalists and foreign mercenaries," the ministry said.

"The strikes destroyed the following targets: a depot storing naval drones, explosives production workshops, a workshop for the assembly of tactical missiles, units of the Neo-Nazi Azov formation, foreign instructors and mercenaries," the ministry reported.