Russia downs 202 Ukrainian drones, US-made HIMARS rockets overnight

Russia’s Defence Ministry has reported that its air defence systems shot down 202 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the past 24 hours, along with four guided aerial bombs and a US-made HIMARS rocket, as part of ongoing military operations in Ukraine.

According to the ministry, Russian forces carried out coordinated strikes across multiple fronts, targeting Ukrainian troops, equipment, and infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports. 

The report states that operational-tactical aviation, drones, missile troops, and artillery struck 133 locations believed to house Ukrainian forces, foreign fighters, and energy infrastructure supporting the military-industrial complex.

In the Donetsk region, Russian units from the "Center" group reportedly advanced and engaged Ukrainian mechanised and assault brigades near several settlements, including Dimitrov, Krasnoarmeysk, and Grishino. Ukraine’s reported losses there amounted to over 430 personnel, alongside vehicles and artillery systems.

Further south, the "Vostok" and "Dnepr" groupings were said to have pushed into Ukrainian defences in parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. The Russian ministry claimed that strikes in these areas led to the destruction of tanks, artillery pieces, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition depots, with combined Ukrainian losses estimated at nearly 300 troops.

In the north and northeast, Russian forces from the "North" and "West" groups reportedly targeted Ukrainian positions in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Fighting was concentrated near towns such as Kupyansk, Volchansk, and Novoivanovka. Moscow claimed that Ukrainian formations in those areas suffered over 390 casualties, as well as the loss of several artillery systems, vehicles, and a Polish-made self-propelled gun.

In the Donetsk region's southern sector, the "South" group reportedly engaged multiple Ukrainian brigades near towns including Seversk, Chasov Yar, and Konstantinovka. Russian officials stated that over 190 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and that armored vehicles, pickup trucks, and ammunition depots were destroyed.

By Sabina Mammadli