Russian forces press ahead with advance in Kupyansk area, top brass reports

military operation in Ukraine

MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/: Russian assault groups continued their advance in the Kupyansk area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"In the Kupyansk direction, assault teams of the western battlegroup capitalizing on the results of air and artillery strikes continued their offensive on a wide front in their areas of responsibility and improved their tactical position," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, Russian forces repelled six attacks and counter-attacks by units of the Ukrainian army’s 14th, 32nd, 41st and 67th mechanized brigades in areas near the settlement of Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic and the Mankovka territory in the Kharkov Region, the general reported.

Russian forces destroy 75 Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian forces destroyed about 75 Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to 75 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also struck amassed manpower and military hardware of the Ukrainian army’s 67th mechanized brigade and 103rd territorial defense brigade near Sinkovka and Kislovka in the Kharkov Region, the general reported.

Russian forces repel two Ukrainian attacks in Krasny Liman area over past day

Russian forces repelled two Ukrainian army attacks in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating roughly 80 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, units of the battlegroup Center supported by aircraft and artillery successfully repelled two attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 21st and 42nd mechanized brigades in areas near the settlements of Terny and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

"As many as 80 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed in that direction in the past 24 hours," the general reported.

Russian forces destroy 370 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces repelled five Ukrainian army attacks in the Donetsk area, eliminating roughly 370 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, five attacks by Ukrainian army units were repelled by active operations of forces from the southern battlegroup, operational/tactical and army aviation strikes, artillery and heavy flamethrower fires in areas near the settlements of Minkovka, Krasnoye, Avdeyevka and north of Kleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

"As many as 370 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, six armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, two US-made M777 artillery systems, a Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery gun and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours," the general reported.

Russian forces thwart Ukrainian army’s recon by fire attempt in south Donetsk area

Russian forces thwarted a Ukrainian army’s attempt to conduct reconnaissance by fire in the south Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the south Donetsk direction, units of the battlegroup East, aircraft and artillery thwarted an enemy attempt to conduct reconnaissance by fire near the settlement of Priyutnoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

Near the settlement of Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian forces neutralized a Ukrainian subversive and reconnaissance group, the general reported.

Russian forces eliminate 180 Ukrainian troops in south Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces eliminated roughly 180 Ukrainian troops, a howitzer and a Polish-made artillery gun in the south Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to 180 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, two Giatsint-B guns and an Akatsiya motorized howitzer," the spokesman said.

Russian forces repel three Ukrainian attacks in Zaporozhye area over past day

Russian forces repelled three Ukrainian army attacks in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Zaporozhye direction, three attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 46th air mobile brigade were repelled by the skilled operations of units from the Russian battlegroup in areas near the settlements of Rabotino and Uspenovka in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

The enemy’s losses in that direction in the past 24 hours amounted to 40 Ukrainian personnel, three armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a D-30 howitzer, the general reported.

Russian forces destroy 50 Ukrainian troops, US-made howitzer in Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 50 Ukrainian troops and a US-made howitzer in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 50 Ukrainian personnel, two motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, a Giatsint-B gun, a Gvozdika motorized artillery gun and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian air defenses destroy 35 Ukrainian combat drones over past day

Russian air defense forces destroyed 35 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and intercepted nine rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Air defense capabilities intercepted nine rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. In addition, they destroyed 35 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Olshana in the Kharkov Region, Lisichansk and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Rovnopol, Nikolskoye and Orlinskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Chumatskoye in the Zaporozhye Region and Aleshki in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces strike Ukrainian troops in 132 areas over past day

Russian forces inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in 132 areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and military hardware in 132 areas," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy 5,600 military drones in Ukraine operation

Russian forces have destroyed 5,600 Ukrainian army’s unmanned aerial vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

"In all, the following targets have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation: 458 aircraft, 245 helicopters, 5,600 unmanned aerial vehicles, 428 surface-to-air missile systems, 11,204 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,144 multiple rocket launchers, 5,819 field artillery guns and mortars and 12,155 special military motor vehicles," the spokesman said.