MOSCOW, June 6. /TASS/. Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian naval drone storage facility and an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) launch site over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed a naval drone depot and an aircraft-type UAV preparation and launch site and struck foreign mercenaries’ temporary deployment areas and massed manpower and military hardware of the Ukrainian army in 127 locations," the ministry said in a statement.

Russian troops inflict 140 casualties on Ukrainian army in Kharkov area over past day

Russian troops inflicted roughly 140 casualties on the Ukrainian army in the Kharkov area over the past day, the ministry reported.

Russia’s Battlegroup North units improved their frontline positions and inflicted damage on manpower and military equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 57th motorized infantry, 31st and 110th mechanized, 113th, 120th and 125th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Volchansk, Bely Kolodez, Vesyoloye, Vysokaya Yaruga, Zhovtnevoye and Tsirkuny in the Kharkov Region, the ministry specified.

"They repulsed six counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 82nd air assault brigade, 101st General Staff guard brigade and 13th National Guard brigade. The enemy’s losses amounted to 140 personnel, a tank, two armored personnel carriers, seven motor vehicles, a German-made 155mm Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery gun, two 152mm D-20 howitzers and three 122mm D-30 howitzers," the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup West takes better positions over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West improved its frontline positions and repelled two Ukrainian army counterattacks over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better sites and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 21st and 67th mechanized brigades in areas near the settlements of Borovaya in the Kharkov Region, Ivanovka, Kolodezi and Novoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled two counterattacks by formations of the Ukrainian army’s 3rd assault brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours "amounted to 155 personnel, two armored personnel carriers, a Polish-manufactured 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery gun, two US-made 155mm M198 howitzers, a 152mm Akatsiya motorized artillery system and a US-made 105mm M119 artillery gun," it specified.

Russian troops improve frontline positions in Donetsk area over past day

Russian troops improved their frontline positions and inflicted casualties on five Ukrainian army brigades 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 5th assault, 79th air assault, 54th and 92nd mechanized and 116th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Verkhnekamenskoye, Yelizavetovka, Konstantinovka and Kurdyumovka 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 640 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, among them a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, two motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M198 howitzer, three 152mm Msta-B howitzers and a 152mm D-20 howitzer, it specified.

Russian troops also destroyed a Ukrainian Bukovel-AD electronic warfare system and two field ammunition depots, the ministry said.

Russian troops strike five Ukrainian brigades in Avdeyevka area over past day

Russian troops improved their tactical position and inflicted casualties on five Ukrainian army brigades 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 71st jaeger, 23rd and 28th mechanized, 109th territorial defense and 2nd National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Yevgenovka, Karlovka, Novgorodskoye and Selidovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Russian troops repulse six Ukrainian counterattacks in Avdeyevka area over past day

Russian troops repulsed six counterattacks by Ukrainian assault groups in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the ministry reported.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center units "repelled six counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 68th jaeger, 24th, 47th, 110th and 118th mechanized brigades," the ministry said.

Ukrainian army loses 345 troops in Avdeyevka area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 345 troops in battles with Russian forces in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"The enemy lost as many as 345 personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, four 152mm Msta-B howitzers and a 122mm D-30 howitzer," the ministry said.

Russian troops advance to better positions in south Donetsk area over past day

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

"Battlegroup East units gained more advantageous sites and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 58th and 72nd mechanized, 102nd and 128th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Vodyanoye, Neskuchnoye and Urozhainoye 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 150 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, a 122mm D-30 howitzer and a 100mm Rapira anti-tank gun, it specified.

Russian troops strike three Ukrainian brigades in Kherson area over past day

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

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 141st infantry, 35th marine infantry and 121st territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Pyatikhatki in the Zaporozhye Region, Mylovoye, Novotyaginka and Ingulets in the Kherson Region. The Ukrainian army’s losses amounted to 60 personnel, five motor vehicles, a 152mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses down 48 Ukrainian UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down 48 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a Neptune anti-ship missile and seven HIMARS and Olkha rockets over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down 48 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, a Neptune anti-ship missile and seven US-made HIMARS rockets and Olkha rockets," the ministry said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 610 Ukrainian warplanes, 274 helicopters, 25,225 unmanned aerial vehicles, 527 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,276 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,330 multiple rocket launchers, 10,162 field artillery guns and mortars and 22,311 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.