MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. Russian forces destroyed roughly 500 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.
“The enemy’s losses in that direction in the past 24 hours amounted to 470 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, three tanks, five infantry fighting vehicles, six armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, and also a Msta-B howitzer,” the spokesman said.
In the area of the settlement of Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade was obliterated, the general added.
Russian assault teams keep destroying Ukrainian troops in western Artyomovsk
Russian assault teams continue actively destroying enemy forces in the western part of Artyomovsk, Konashenkov reported.
“In the Donetsk direction, assault teams continued active operations to destroy the enemy in the western part of the city of Artyomovsk,” the spokesman said.
Airborne Force units and artillery of the southern battlegroup provided support to the assault teams and thwarted the enemy’s attempts to counter-attack on the flanks and redeploy reserves, the general added.
“During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical aircraft flew 10 sorties to support the operations of the assault teams. Artillery of the southern battlegroup accomplished 64 firing objectives,” Konashenkov reported.
In addition, the strikes inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in the area of the settlements of Bogdanovka, Krasnoye and Stupochki in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman said.
Russian forces neutralize three Ukrainian subversive groups in Kupyansk area
Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area and neutralized three enemy subversive groups over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
“In the Kupyansk direction, assault and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the western battlegroup delivered strikes against enemy units. The activity of three Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted,” the spokesman said.
The enemy lost “as many as 50 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles and two pickup trucks” in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.
Russian forces eliminate over 60 Ukrainian troops, two tanks in Krasny Liman area
Russian combat aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems destroyed over 60 Ukrainian troops and two tanks in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
“In the Krasny Liman direction, aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems from the battlegroup Center struck the enemy units near the settlements of Yampol, Seversk Maliy and Serebryanka in the Donetsk People’s Republic,” the spokesman said.
Over 60 Ukrainian personnel, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery gun and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.
Russian forces strike Ukrainian army’s headquarters in DPR
Russian forces struck the joint headquarters of the Ukrainian combat group Bakhmut near Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
“In the area of the settlement of Konstantinovka, the joint headquarters of the Ukrainian army’s combat group Bakhmut was struck. In addition, in areas near the settlements of Terny and Tonenkoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, three command/observation posts of the battalions from the Ukrainian army’s 25th air assault and 116th territorial defense brigades were struck,” the spokesman said.
During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 86 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 127 areas, the general added.
Russian forces destroy 30 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas
Russian forces destroyed about 30 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar, Velikaya Novosyolka and Shevchenko in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.
“As many as 30 Ukrainian troops, an armored combat vehicle, and also a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in those directions in the past 24 hours,” the general reported.
Russian forces neutralize Ukrainian saboteurs in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas
Russian forces neutralized two Ukrainian subversive groups in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
“In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the activity of two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted near the settlements of Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Malinovka in the Zaporozhye Region,” the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminate over 15 Ukrainian troops, US-made M777 howitzer in Kherson area
Russian forces eliminated over 15 Ukrainian troops and a US-made M777 artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
“In the Kherson direction, over 15 Ukrainian personnel, two motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, and also two Msta-B howitzers were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower,” the spokesman said.
Russian air defenses down three Ukrainian combat drones in past day
Russian air defense forces shot down three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
“In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Vladimirovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Kremennaya and Kuzemovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic,” the spokesman said.
