Russian forces down 62 Ukrainian drones, 14 HIMARS rockets

Russian air defense forces have downed 62 Ukrainian drones, 14 HIMARS rockets and three Hammer bombs, according to a report by the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Air defense systems downed 62 unmanned aerial vehicles, 14 US-supplied HIMARS multiple launch rockets and three French-made guided Hammer aerial bombs over the past day,” the report released on Saturday said.

Russian forces dealt a heavy retaliatory blow to Ukraine’s power facilities as the Kiev forces had planned to strike Russian energy infrastructure, the report reads.

“Also, Western weapon depots [in Ukraine] were hit,” it added.

The ministry also said that Russia’s Battlegroup South took up better forward-edge positions, causing Ukrainian forces to sustain roughly 660 casualties.

Ukrainian forces lost two IFVs, eight vehicles, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, a 152 mm Msta-B towed howitzer, a US-supplied 105mm M119 gun, a British-made 105 mm L-119 howitzer and a Nota electronic warfare system, the ministry reported.

Russia’s Battlegroup North repelled five counterattacks by Ukrainian forces in the past day, according to the ministry.

Also, it added, the Russian units struck the manpower and equipment of eight Ukrainian brigades as they pushed deeper into the enemy’s defense lines.  

In the past day approximately 240 Ukrainian forces were wounded in the counterattacks, the report said.

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Russia’s Battlegroup North also destroyed a Ukrainian tank, an infantry combat vehicle, six cars, an Osa air defense system, and a Nota electronic warfare system, according to the ministry report.

Russian troops fired counterbattery arms, hitting a US-supplied HIMARS vehicle, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, a 152mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery mount and a 122mm D-30 howitzer, the ministry specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East units seized vantage points in the past day, inflicting over 120 casualties on the Ukrainian forces. Also, Ukrainian forces lost an armored combat vehicle, four cars and a 122mm D-30 howitzer, it said.

The ministry also reported that combat units of Russia’s armed forces Battlegroup West had inflicted an estimated 450 casualties on the Ukrainian forces that had been stationed in the area captured by Russian troops over the past day.

“Ukrainian forces lost roughly 450 troops, a tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, nine cars, two 152 mm D-20 howitzers and a 122 mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, in total, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 607 Ukrainian warplanes, 274 helicopters, 24,964 unmanned aerial vehicles, 525 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,219 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,326 multiple rocket launchers, 9,998 field artillery guns and mortars and 22,182 special military motor vehicles since the start of Russia’s special military operation in February 2022.

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