Russian Airstrikes Hit Ukrainian Airfields, Ammunition Depots, MoD Says
13:11 24.12.2024 (Updated: 17:44 24.12.2024)
© Sputnik . Evgeny Biyatov
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In February 2022, on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Armed Forces launched a special military operation in Ukraine aimed at liberating and defending the Russian-speaking population of the eastern Donbass region, who have been suffering from a blockade and attacks by the Kiev regime's forces since 2014.
Russian aviation and artillery struck the infrastructure of military airfields, ammunition and drone depots, as well as concentrations of Ukrainian personnel and equipment in 146 locations, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reported on Tuesday.
"Operational-tactical aviation, strike drones, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces targeted the infrastructure of military airfields, ammunition depots and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as concentrations of enemy personnel and military equipment in 146 locations," the MoD said.
Air defense systems intercepted four US-made HIMARS rockets and 65 fixed-wing drones.
The list of Ukrainian equipment destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation includes 650 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 38,420 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 air defense systems, 19,967 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,504 multiple rocket launcher combat vehicles, 19,969 field artillery and mortar systems and 29,469 specialized military vehicles.
Five Russian battlegroups improved their positions in the special operation zone, the MoD reported.
"Units of the Zapad battlegroup improved their tactical positions and inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of three mechanized brigades, one assault brigade and two territorial defense brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Dvurechnaya, Zagryzovo, Kopanki, Ivanovka in the Kharkov region, Novoeygorovka in the Lugansk People's Republic and Terny in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry noted.
In addition, they repelled three counterattacks by enemy assault units.
Ukrainian losses included:
Up to 380 personnel
Three pickup trucks
One 152-mm Acatsiya self-propelled artillery system
One 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system
Two 122-mm D-30 howitzers
Two US-made 105-mm M119 guns
Two Bukovel-AD and Enclave-N electronic warfare stations
Units of the Vostok battlegroup also took more advantageous positions.
"They inflicted losses on motorized infantry, mechanized brigades and two territorial defense brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Vremevka, Konstantinopol, Neskuchnoye, Razliv in the Donetsk People's Republic and Temirovka in the Zaporozhye region," the ministry and.
They also repelled a counterattack by a Ukrainian assault group.
Ukrainian losses included:
Up to 160 personnel
Two motor vehicles
One US-made 155-mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system
One 152-mm Msta-S howitzer
One 152-mm Acatsiya self-propelled artillery system
The Yug battlegroup improved its positions along the forward edge and inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, one assault brigade and one airborne brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Serebryanka, Seversk, Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka, Chasov Yar and Kurakhovo in the Donetsk People's Republic, the MoD said.
Russian forces also repelled a counterattack by Ukrainian assault troops.
Ukrainian losses included:
Over 250 personnel
One armored personnel carrier
Two motor vehicles
One 152-mm D-20 howitzer
Forces of the Tsentr Battlegroup advanced deeper into enemy defenses.
Troops targeted personnel and equipment of eight Ukrainian brigades in the areas of Krasnoarmeysk, Udachnoye, Zverevka, Andreyevka, Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Shevchenko and Novoolenovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
"They repelled ten counterattacks by Ukrainian units," the ministry said.
Ukrainian losses included:
Up to 585 personnel
One tank
One infantry fighting vehicle
Two armored personnel carriers, including a US-made M113
One Kazak armored vehicle
Four motor vehicles
One 152-mm Msta-B howitzer
Forces of the Dnepr battlegroup improved their forward positions and inflicted losses on personnel and equipment of a mechanized brigade and two territorial defense brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Nikolskoye, Pridneprovskoye and Yantarnoe in the Kherson region, the ministry said.
Ukrainian losses included:
Up to 65 personnel
Three motor vehicles
One 122-mm D-30 howitzer
Russia's Sever battlegroup eliminated up to 40 Ukrainian soldiers, destroyed three vehicles and 4 D-30 howitzers near Liptsy and Volchansk in Kharkiv region, targeting a mechanized brigade and a territorial defense brigade.
