Russian forces strike Ukrainian army’s command post in Artyomovsk in DPR — top brass

Artyomovsk EPA-EFE/OLEG PETRASYUK Artyomovsk
©EPA-EFE/OLEG PETRASYUK

Russian forces struck the Ukrainian army’s command post in Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and an arms depot in the Zaporozhye Region over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.

"in the past 24 hours, operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 89 enemy artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 122 areas. The command post of the Ukrainian army’s 93rd mechanized brigade was destroyed in the area of the community of Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

"In addition, a Ukrainian missile/artillery armament depot was obliterated near the settlement of Druzhelyubovka in the Zaporozhye Region," the general added.

Russian troops fully liberated the community of Dvurechnoye in the Kharkov Region over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, the community of Dvurechnoye in the Kharkov Region was fully liberated as a result of offensive operations by units of the western battlegroup" the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, Russian army aviation and artillery inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in the area of the settlements of Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic and also Gryanikovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region, the general said.

"The enemy’s losses in that [Kupyansk] area amounted to over 70 Ukrainian personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system and a D-30 howitzer," Konashenkov reported.

Russian paratroopers destroyed in the LPR a group of Ukrainian soldiers numbering up to 7 people who were trying to go to the rear during the offensive of 2 airborne companies

Russian combat aircraft and artillery eliminated roughly 100 Ukrainian troops, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and a US-made radar in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, operational-tactical and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the enemy in areas near the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova, Chervonopopovka and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

As many as 100 Ukrainian troops, four armored combat vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, a D-20 howitzer and a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar were destroyed in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

In addition, Russian forces wiped out a Ukrainian ammunition depot near the settlement of Borovaya in the Kharkov Region, Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces destroyed over 120 Ukrainian troops in their advance in the Donetsk area in the past day, he said.

"In the Donetsk direction, as many as 125 Ukrainian personnel, two tanks, three armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles, a D-30 howitzer and a Grad multiple rocket launcher were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of offensive operations by the southern battlegroup, air strikes and artillery fire," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also wiped out two Ukrainian ammunition and missile/artillery armament depots near the communities of Slavyansk and Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general specified.

Russian forces eliminated over 60 Ukrainian troops and three US-made M777 artillery systems in the southern Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the southern Donetsk direction, operational-tactical aircraft and artillery of the Russian battlegroup East inflicted damage on Ukrainian troops and equipment by combined firepower in areas near the settlements of Prechistovka and Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman said.

"The enemy’s losses in that area in the past 24 hours totaled over 60 Ukrainian personnel, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, four pickup trucks, three US-made M777 artillery systems, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery gun and a D-20 howitzer. In addition, two Ukrainian ammunition depots were destroyed near Ugledar," the general specified.

Russian forces destroyed roughly 60 Ukrainian troops, a Msta-B howitzer and two D-30 howitzers in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 60 Ukrainian troops, a Msta-B howitzer and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted on Ukrainian personnel and equipment by firepower," the spokesman said.

In the area of the community of Vyschetarasovka in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, a Ukrainian ammunition depot was wiped out, the general added.

Russian fighter aircraft shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter in the Zaporozhye Region over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter near the settlement of Ternovka in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces shot down 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and 14 HIMARS rockets over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities shot down 14 rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, and also destroyed 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Dobrolyubovka in the Kharkov Region, Zhovtnevoye, Chervonaya Dibrova and Golikovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Novoprokofyevka in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 384 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 207 helicopters, 3,069 unmanned aerial vehicles, 403 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,812 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,014 multiple rocket launchers, 4,046 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,313 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

Special operation of the Russian Federation, February 9. Main:

• Ukraine lost about 140 soldiers in the Kupyansk and Krasnolymansk directions, up to 90 people, 10 pieces of equipment, and 4 ammunition depots in the DPR in the Donetsk direction, over 85 Ukrainian soldiers in the South Donetsk direction, the RF Ministry of Defense reported;



• Zelensky admitted that he told Merkel and Macron that he did not plan to implement the "Minsk agreements". In an interview with Spiegel, he said he said the same thing to Putin;



• None of the European leaders has yet announced their intention to transfer planes to Ukraine, Bloomberg reported;



• London will not transfer fighter jets to Kyiv if this could affect the security of Britain itself, the Telegraph newspaper wrote;



• The head of Volodymyr Zelensky's office said that the issue of long-range weapons and aircraft "can be resolved";



• The head of the European Council said that in Ukraine the next weeks and months will be decisive, maximum assistance is needed, including military;



• Medvedev said that it would be natural for Moscow to increase the production of various weapons, including modern tanks.