Kiev loses some 1,225 troops along engagement line in past day

TASS

MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,225 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost up to 195 troops in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, some 200 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West and about 165 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup South.

During the last 24-hour period, the Ukrainian army also lost over 345 troops in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup Center, up to 285 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup East and some 35 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Dnepr, the latest figures show.

Overnight, the Russian Armed Forces struck a logistics center in Velikaya Balka in the Odessa Region, where military supplies for the Ukrainian military were being stored, the ministry reported.

"Last night, the Russian Armed Forces carried out coordinated drone strikes against logistics centers and ports in Ukraine, as well as against naval vessels operating on behalf of the Ukrainian military. As a result, the following targets in the Odessa Region were hit: a logistics center in the town of Velikaya Balka, which handled the storage and distribution of military cargo arriving in Ukraine from abroad," the statement said.

Overnight, the Russian Armed Forces struck a dry cargo ship and a ferry in the port of Chernomorsk in the Odessa Region that had delivered cargo to the Ukrainian military, the ministry reported.

"In the port of Chernomorsk, a dry cargo ship and a ro-ro ferry that had delivered cargo intended for the Ukrainian military were hit," the statement said.

Overnight, the Russian Armed Forces struck railway infrastructure in western Ukraine used to transport military cargo from Europe, the Defense Ministry reported.

"In addition, [Russian servicemen] continued to strike Ukraine's western regions, targeting railway infrastructure facilities used to transport military cargo from European countries," the statement said.

Air defenses destroyed 222 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight, the Defense Ministry reported.

"On-duty air defenses intercepted and destroyed 222 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight over the Oryol, Belgorod, Voronezh, Tula, Tambov, Bryansk, Rostov, Kursk, Lipetsk, Ryazan, Saratov, Samara, Kaluga, Ulyanovsk Regions, over Tatarstan and Crimea, as well as over the Black Sea," the statement said.

Russian forces struck Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure facilities used by Ukrainian troops over the past day, as well as temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian units in 139 areas, the Defense Ministry said.

"Operational-tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces’ battlegroups hit Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure facilities used by Ukrainian troops, UAV storage and assembly sites, as well as temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 139 areas," the ministry said.

Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian assault groups attempting to counterattack near the settlement of Kazachya Lopan in the Kharkov Region, the Defense Ministry reported.

"Two Ukrainian assault groups attempting to counterattack near the settlement of Kazachya Lopan in the Kharkov Region were destroyed," the ministry said.

According to the Defense Ministry, concentrations of manpower and equipment from Ukrainian tank, mechanized, and motorized infantry brigades, an assault regiment, and two territorial defense brigades were also hit near the settlements of Zolochev, Martynovka, Chernoglazovka, Metallovka, and Revolyutsionnoye in the Kharkov Region.

The Russian Armed Forces have struck a Ukrainian military train used to transport military cargo, including foreign-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in the Volyn Region, the Defense Ministry reported.

"The Russian Defense Ministry has published a video showing a strike carried out by a Geran-4 Seeker drone targeting against a Ukrainian train used to transport military cargo, including foreign-made UAVs and their components, near the Rymachi settlement in the Volyn Region. Regular strikes on railway infrastructure and locomotives that are supplying the military are disrupting the Ukrainian armed forces’ transportation logistics," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia's Battlegroup North has taken control of the settlement of Olkhovatka in the Kharkov Region and is destroying Ukrainian formations blocked east of the village, the Defense Ministry said.

"Control has been established over the settlement of Olkhovatka in the Kharkov Region inside the encirclement ring. Ukrainian formations blocked east of the settlement are being destroyed," the ministry reported.

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup North continue to encircle enemy forces in the Kharkov Region while expanding their zone of control beyond its boundaries, the Defense Ministry reported.

"Units of the Battlegroup North in the Kharkov Region continue to tighten the encirclement of enemy forces and expand the outer zone of control," the statement said.

Russian troops are engaged in fighting for Malaya Volchya in the Kharkov Region, and a comprehensive fire strike has been delivered against Ukrainian troops near Buzovo and Khripuny, the Defense Ministry reported.

"Fighting continues for the liberation of Malaya Volchya in the Kharkov Region. A comprehensive fire strike was delivered against enemy personnel near Khripuny and Buzovo in the Kharkov Region," the news release reads.

The ministry added that, as a result of decisive actions to expand the outer control zone, strikes were inflicted on Ukrainian forces near Prikolotnoye, Novoaleksandrovka, and Petropavlovka in the Kharkov Region.

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 589 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and six smart bombs over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down six guided aerial bombs and 589 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 674 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 284 helicopters, 236,589 unmanned aerial vehicles, 672 surface-to-air missile systems, 30,930 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,777 multiple rocket launchers, 36,463 field artillery guns and mortars and 71,960 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Russian forces prevented the Ukrainian army from breaking out of the encirclement in the Kharkov Region, with up to 35 Ukrainian fighters lost there over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry reported.

"The enemy lost up to 35 troops of the Ukrainian army within the encirclement over the past 24 hours. All attempts by the militants to break out of the encirclement were thwarted," the report said.

The Russian Armed Forces have eliminated up to 490 Ukrainian militants who have been surrounded in the Kharkov Region since the beginning of the month, the Defense Ministry reported.

"Since the beginning of the month, up to 490 militants, 13 armored combat vehicles, eight pickup trucks, 13 all-terrain vehicles, and 21 ground-based robotic systems have been destroyed within the encirclement," the statement said.

Russian strikes on border crossings are cutting off the Ukrainian armed forces’ supply channels for foreign military aid, the Defense Ministry reported, releasing footage of a strike by a Geran-type drone on the Yagodin checkpoint in the Volyn region.

"Regular strikes on Ukraine’s border crossings are disrupting ground supply routes for foreign military aid in the vicinity of key transport and logistics hubs of the Ukrainian military," the statement said.

Fonte: TASS