MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated two communities in the Donbass area and the Kharkov Region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Sunday.

"Battlegroup West units liberated the settlement of Lozovaya in the Kharkov Region as a result of decisive operations… Battlegroup Center units liberated the settlement of Krasnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of successful offensive operations," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 55 casualties on Ukrainian army in Kharkov area

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 55 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed five enemy howitzers in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units operating in the Kharkov direction inflicted casualties on the armed formations of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Borshchevaya, Kazachya Lopan and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 55 personnel, six motor vehicles and five 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 480 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 480 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed ten enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup West units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Petropavlovka, Glushkovka, Dvurechnaya and Zagryzovo in the Kharkov Region, Yampolovka and Terny in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled six counterattacks by enemy assault groups," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past day amounted to more than 480 personnel, five motor vehicles, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system, a British-made 155mm FH70 howitzer, a 152mm Akatsiya motorized artillery system, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and three US-manufactured 105mm M119 artillery guns, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 300 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 300 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of a mechanized brigade, two airmobile brigades and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Zvanovka, Fyodorovka, Zakotnoye, Podolskoye, Dachnoye, Belokuzminovka and Seversk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 300 personnel, a Spartan armored personnel carrier, three pickup trucks and two 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army over the past day, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 480 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 480 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and two armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup Center units "inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of five mechanized brigades, an infantry brigade, a motorized infantry brigade and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and an assault battalion of Ukraine’s national police in areas near the settlements of Dzerzhinsk, Peschanoye, Andreyevka, Zverevo, Udachnoye, Krasnoarmeisk, Novoolenovka and Novoyelizavetovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repulsed 11 counterattacks by Ukrainian armed formations," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 480 personnel, two tanks, a Varta armored combat vehicle and a Kozak armored fighting vehicle, nine motor vehicles, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and a US-made 105mm M101 artillery gun, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 185 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 185 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units kept moving deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Vremevka, Skudnoye and Konstantinopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Temirovka in the Zaporozhye Region. They repelled a counterattack by enemy assault groups," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 185 personnel, two motor vehicles, a 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, a 152mm Akatsiya motorized artillery system, a 152mm D-20 howitzer and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts 75 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 75 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of a mountain assault brigade and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Stepovoye and Maliye Shcherbaki in the Zaporozhye Region, Sadovoye and Antonovka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 75 personnel, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, two 152mm D-20 howitzers and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two electronic warfare and electronic reconnaissance stations and an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia hammers Ukrainian UAV assembly workshops, mercenaries’ sites over past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly workshops and amassment areas of foreign mercenaries over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck the infrastructure of military airfields, workshops assembling attack unmanned aerial vehicles, sites of their storage and preparation for launch and also amassed manpower and military equipment of Ukrainian armed formations and Foreign Legion mercenaries in 138 areas," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses down 100 Ukrainian UAVs, Neptune missile over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down 100 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and a Neptune missile over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense systems shot down a Neptune long-range missile, two rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 100 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 650 Ukrainian warplanes, 283 helicopters, 38,341 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 surface-to-air missile systems, 19,952 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,504 multiple rocket launchers, 19,932 field artillery guns and mortars and 29,427 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.