MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. A Russian T-72B3 tank crew destroyed a US-made Abrams tank of the Ukrainian army with the first shot in the Avdeyevka area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"A T-72B3 tank crew destroyed a US-made Abrams with the first shot" in the Avdeyevka direction, the ministry reported.

Russian forces repulse three Ukrainian counterattacks in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian forces repulsed three Ukrainian army counterattacks and improved their tactical position in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, units of the Western Battlegroup improved their tactical position and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 14th mechanized, 25th airborne, 68th jaeger and 12th National Guard brigades near the settlements of Novosyolovka and Serebryanka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Sverdlovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Russian forces also repulsed three counterattacks by the Ukrainian army’s 32nd mechanized and 57th motorized infantry brigades near the settlements of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region and Terny in the Donetsk People’s Republic, it specified.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to 165 personnel, a tank and three motor vehicles. In counter-battery fire, three Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery systems and a US-manufactured M198 howitzer were destroyed," it said.

Russian forces destroy 260 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Donetsk area, destroying roughly 260 enemy troops over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern Battlegroup took more advantageous forward edge positions in their active combat operations and inflicted damage on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 5th and 92nd assault, 22nd, 28th and 54th mechanized and 56th motorized infantry brigades near the settlements of Bogdanovka, Kleshcheyevka, Andreyevka, Zakotnoye and Pershe Travnya in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In areas near the settlements of Novomikhailovka and Pobeda in the Donetsk People’s Republic, they repulsed two counterattacks by the Ukrainian army’s 31st and 33rd mechanized brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Donetsk area over the past 24 hours amounted to 260 personnel, 2 tanks, 2 armored combat vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, an Msta-B howitzer and 2 Gvozdika motorized artillery systems. Russian forces also destroyed three Ukrainian ammunition depots in that area over the past day, it said.

Russian forces press ahead with offensive in Avdeyevka area over past day

Russian forces took advantageous sites in the Avdeyevka area and repelled three attacks and nine counterattacks by the Ukrainian army over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Avdeyevka direction, units of the Battlegroup Center took more advantageous sites and positions in their well-coordinated operations. They inflicted damage by firepower on the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 23rd, 42nd, 47th, 53rd, 61st and 92nd mechanized and 59th motorized infantry brigades near the settlements of Novopokrovskoye, Ocheretino, Novosyolovka Pervaya and Toretsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

In addition, Russian forces repulsed three Ukrainian army attacks near the settlements of Leninskoye and Novgorodskoye, and also nine enemy counterattacks near the communities of Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Orlovka and Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the ministry specified.

Kiev loses 460 troops in Avdeyevka area over past day

The Ukrainian military lost roughly 460 troops and 2 tanks in the Avdeyevka area near Donetsk over the past day, the ministry reported.

"The enemy lost roughly 460 personnel, 2 tanks, including an Abrams tank, a Buk self-propelled anti-aircraft missile launcher, 4 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 armored combat vehicles and 5 motor vehicles. In counter-battery fire, an Msta-B howitzer, 2 US-made M119 howitzers, an American HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station were destroyed," the ministry said.

Russian forces eliminate 210 Ukrainian troops in south Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces eliminated roughly 210 Ukrainian troops, two tanks and an ammunition depot in the south Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the south Donetsk direction, units of the Battlegroup East improved their tactical position as a result of their active operations and inflicted damage by firepower on the enemy personnel and equipment in areas near the settlements of Mirnoye and Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian army’s losses amounted to 210 personnel, 2 tanks, 3 motor vehicles, a Strela-10 surface-to-air missile launcher and an ammunition depot," the ministry said.

Russian forces strike three Ukrainian army brigades in Kherson area over past day

Russian forces inflicted damage on three Ukrainian army brigades in the Kherson area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Battlegroup inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 118th mechanized, 126th territorial defense and 23rd National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Tokarevka and Sadovoye in the Kherson Region and Vyschetarasovka in the Dnepropetrovsk Region. The enemy’s losses amounted to 30 personnel and two motor vehicles," the ministry said.

Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields with aviation equipment over past day

Russian forces struck aviation equipment at Ukrainian military airfields over the past day, the ministry reported.

"The strikes destroyed aviation equipment, air-launched ammunition and fuel depots at the Lozovatka airfield in the Dnepropetrovsk Region and the Starokonstantinov airfield in the Khmelnitsky Region," the ministry said.

During the last 24-hour period, operational-tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces struck Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in 113 areas, the ministry reported.

Russian forces destroy first French-made smart bomb in Ukraine operation

Russian air defense forces intercepted the first French-made AASM Hammer smart bomb and destroyed nine rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 135 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, the ministry reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities shot down nine rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and a French-made AASM Hammer guided air bomb," the ministry said.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian air defense systems also destroyed 135 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular, near the settlements of Sladkoye, Pavlovka, Signalnoye, Verkhnetoretskoye and Orlinskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Golikovo, Chervonopopovka and Novodruzhesk in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Mirnoye, Magedovo, Shevchenkovo and Novoye in the Zaporozhye Region, it specified.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 576 Ukrainian warplanes, 267 helicopters, 14,440 unmanned aerial vehicles, 481 surface-to-air missile systems, 15,377 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,234 multiple rocket launchers, 8,309 field artillery guns and mortars and 19,415 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.