MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russia’s battlegroup West has repelled 10 Ukrainian attacks near Kupyansk over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a daily bulletin of the special military operation.
Here are the details of this and other combat actions that happened over the past day, according to the bulletin.
Kupyansk area
"Units of the battlegroup West used air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flame-throwing systems to repel the 10 attacks by assault groups of Ukraine’s 21st and 115th mechanized brigades and 95th airborne assault brigade near Sinkovka, Liman Pervy and Terny in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said.
Ukrainian forces lost more than 60 servicemen, one German-made Leopard-2 tank, three infantry fighting vehicles, two armored personnel carriers, and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery unit.
Krasny Liman area
Russian forces destroyed a Slovakian-made Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery system near Kuzmino.
"Total enemy losses in that area over the past day amounted to roughly 220 troops, a tank, three armored personnel carriers, five cars and a Slovakian-made Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer," the ministry said.
Donetsk area
"Units of the battlegroup South, supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, repelled nine attacks by the Ukrainian 24th and 28th mechanized brigades, 79th air assault brigade and 81st airmobile brigade near the settlements of Kurdyumovka, Belogorovka, Leninskoye, Shumy and Maryinka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.
Air and missile strikes hit enemy troops and equipment near the Kleshcheyevka and Andreyevka settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
"The enemy lost up to 190 troops in the area, as well as five infantry fighting vehicles, including a US-made Bradley vehicle, and two motor vehicles. Two Msta-B howitzers, an Akatsiya artillery system and three D-30 howitzers were destroyed by counterbattery fire," the ministry said.
South Donetsk area
"Units of Battlegroup East, acting in coordination with tactical and army aircraft, artillery forces and heavy flamethrower crews, repelled four attacks by assault teams from the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces near the Novomikhailovka settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy lost up to 90 troops, three pickup trucks and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system," the ministry said.
Zaporozhye area
"Russian forces repelled two attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian 117th mechanized brigade north of Novopokrovka in the Zaporozhye Region. In addition, the Russian military hit the enemy’s 33rd and 65th mechanized brigades and 128th mountain assault brigade near Rabotino, Zherebyanka and Nesteryanka in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.
Ukrainian forces lost up to 30 servicemen, two motor vehicles, and a D-30 howitzer.
Kherson area
"Russian forces wiped out up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed three vehicles," the ministry said.
A US-made M109, a Polish-made Krab howitzer, and a Msta-B howitzer, were hit.
"A strike was delivered on a command and observation post of a unit of the 1st Operational Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard in the vicinity of the Serebryanka settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
Russian operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, rocket troops and artillery have also struck Ukrainian military personnel and military equipment in 113 areas.
Air Force and air defenses
"Air defense capabilities destroyed 25 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Topolyovka, Verkhnekamenka in the Lugansk People’ Republic, Gorlovka, Berestovoye, Spornoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Alyoshki in the Kherson Region and also intercepted two rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system," the ministry said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 553 Ukrainian warplanes, 259 helicopters, 9,861 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 surface-to-air missile systems, 14,165 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,189 multiple rocket launchers, 7,382 field artillery guns and mortars and 16,437 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the ministry reported.