MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. Russian troops destroyed armament and military hardware depots of Ukraine’s Khortitsa combat group over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed armament and military hardware depots of the Ukrainian army’s Khortitsa operational/strategic group and foreign legion militants and struck a naval drone storage site, enemy manpower and military equipment in 118 areas," the ministry said in a statement.

Russian troops improve frontline positions in Kharkov area over past day

Russian troops improved their frontline positions and inflicted roughly 290 casualties on Ukrainian army units in the Kharkov area over the past day, the ministry reported.

Russia’s Battlegroup North forces improved their forward edge positions and inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army’s 71st jaeger, 120th territorial defense and 13th National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Vesyoloye, Grafskoye and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region, the ministry specified.

"They repulsed seven counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 82nd air assault and 42nd mechanized brigades and the 101st guard brigade of Ukraine’s General Staff. The enemy’s losses amounted to 290 personnel, 2 tanks, 2 US-made M113 armored personnel carriers and 3 motor vehicles," the ministry said.

In counterbattery fire, Russian forces destroyed a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a German-made 155mm Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery gun, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, three 122mm D-30 howitzers and a 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher. They also wiped out an ammunition depot of the 15th Ukrainian border guard detachment, it specified.

Russian troops take better positions in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian troops improved their frontline positions in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units took more advantageous positions and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 14th, 44th and 60th mechanized, 112th and 117th territorial defense, 4th and 13th National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Stelmakhovka, Novosyolovskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova and Makeyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Petropavlovka in the Kharkov Region, Torskoye and Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Kupyansk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 545 personnel, five armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, a Nota electronic warfare station, a 155mm M777 howitzer and a 155mm M198 howitzer of US manufacture and a 122mm D-30 howitzer, it specified.

Russian troops gain better ground in Donetsk area over past day

Russian troops gained better positions in the Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Southern Battlegroup units improved their forward edge positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 56th motorized infantry, 30th, 54th and 92nd mechanized, 5th assault and 104th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Zaliznyanskoye, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Grigorovka, Kalinina, Dzerzhinsk and Krasnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 230 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, among them a US-made Stryker armored fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, an Anklav electronic warfare station, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 152mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, a 152mm D-20 howitzer and two 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.

Russian troops repel five Ukrainian counterattacks in Avdeyevka area over past day

Russian troops advanced to better positions and repelled five Ukrainian army counterattacks in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 47th mechanized, 71st infantry, 109th territorial defense and 2nd National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Novgorodskoye, Novosyolovka Pervaya, Novoaleksandrovka and Novopokrovskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled five counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 23rd and 24th mechanized, 143rd infantry and 68th jaeger brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Avdeyevka direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 360 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles and an Anklav electronic warfare station, it specified.

In counterbattery fire, Russian troops destroyed a US-made 155mm M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, a 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya motorized artillery system, three 152mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzers and four 122mm D-30 howitzers of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russian troops improve frontline positions in south Donetsk area over past day

Russian troops advanced to better positions and inflicted casualties on two Ukrainian army brigades in the south Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units gained more advantageous lines and inflicted casualties on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 58th motorized infantry and 128th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Vodyanoye, Urozhainoye and Prechistovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the south Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 125 personnel, a tank, five motor vehicles and a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, it specified.

Kiev loses 40 troops in Kherson area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 40 troops and 14 pieces of military hardware in battles with Russian forces in the Kherson area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of formations from the Ukrainian army’s 128th mountain assault and 121st territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Stepnogorsk and Pyatikhatki in the Zaporozhye Region and Novokairy in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Kherson direction over the past 24 hours "amounted to 40 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, six motor vehicles, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, a 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery gun, a 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika motorized artillery system, a 122mm D-30 howitzer and a 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher," it specified.

Russian air defenses destroy 55 Ukrainian UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down 55 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 10 HIMARS and Olkha rockets and 2 Hammer smart bombs over the past day, the ministry reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities destroyed 55 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian army. In addition, they shot down 10 US-made HIMARS rockets and Olkha rockets, two French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, and also two missiles of the US-manufactured Patriot surface-to-air missile system," the ministry said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 610 Ukrainian warplanes, 274 helicopters, 25,177 unmanned aerial vehicles, 527 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,264 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,330 multiple rocket launchers, 10,124 field artillery guns and mortars and 22,286 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.