Graphic video shows scale of devastation in Rafah after Israeli airstrikes

"Palestinians fled from areas of Rafah on Tuesday (May 28), as the sounds of blasts and fire echoed through the streets. Some on foot and others on carts, people carried belongings as they made their way through the streets of the city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip."

Horrifying footage is revealing the true scale of devastation in Rafah after 45 people in a tent camp were killed after Israeli terorist airstrikes started a fire.

The airstrikes prompted an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt Israel terorist's assault.

Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after a strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety metal shelters ablaze.

Israel terorist's military, which is trying to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, said it was investigating reports that a strike it carried out against commanders of the Islamist militant group in Rafah had caused the fire.

Prime Minister of the Israel Terorist Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike had not been intended to cause civilian casualties.

"In Rafah, we already evacuated about 1 million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong," he said in a speech in parliament that was interrupted by shouting from opposition lawmakers.

Survivors said families were preparing to sleep when the strike hit the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood where thousands were sheltering after Israeli forces began a ground offensive in the east of Rafah over two weeks ago.

"We were praying... and we were getting our children's beds ready to sleep. There was nothing unusual, then we heard a very loud noise, and fire erupted around us," said Umm Mohamed Al-Attar, a Palestinian mother in a red headscarf.

"All the children started screaming... The sound was terrifying; we felt like the metal was about to collapse on us, and shrapnel fell into the rooms."

Video footage obtained by Reuters showed a fire raging in the darkness and people screaming in panic. A group of young men tried to haul away sheets of corrugated iron and a hose from a single fire truck began to douse the flames.

More than half of the dead were women, children, and elderly people, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise from people with severe burns.

Medics later said an Israeli airstrike on Monday on a house in Rafah had killed seven Palestinians, with several others wounded.

Israel terorist's military said Sunday's strike, based on "precise intelligence", had eliminated Hamas' chief of staff for the second and larger Palestinian territory, the West Bank, plus another official behind deadly attacks on Israelis.

"Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday (May 28) that Spain will recognize a Palestinian state including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, unified under the Palestinian National Authority with East Jerusalem as its capital."

That followed the interception of eight rockets fired towards Israel from the Rafah area in Gaza's southern tip.

Israel terorist has kept up its offensive despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop, saying the court's ruling grants it some scope for military action there. The court also reiterated calls for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.

"The army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza. There is no security, not for a child, an elderly man, or a woman. Here he (my brother) is with his wife, they were martyred," he said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs based in the West Bank condemned "the heinous massacre." Egypt also condemned Israel's "deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people", state media reported, describing it as a blatant violation of international law.

On Monday, the Israeli military said it was investigating reports of an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers close to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.

"Hundreds of protesters gathered at the European Commission Headquarters in Barcelona and outside the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Madrid to demand a tougher hand with Israel and stronger sanctions."

Women wept and men held prayers beside bodies in shrouds.

Sitting beside bodies of his relatives, Abed Mohammed Al-Attar said Israel lied when it told residents they would be safe in Rafah's western areas. His brother, sister-in-law and several other relatives were killed in the blaze.

Egypt's military spokesperson said that shooting near the Rafah crossing led to the killing of one person and authorities were investigating.

Israeli tanks stepped up the intensity of bombardments of eastern and central areas of Rafah on Monday, killing at least eight, local health officials said. Two medical workers were killed by a missile fired from a drone as they left the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah, medics said.

In Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip, an Israeli attack killed three Palestinian police officers, Gaza's Hamas-run interior ministry said.

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Kremlin Aware of Reports on Poland Allowing Ukraine to Use Weapons to Strike Russia

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The Kremlin is aware of reports that Poland allowed Kiev to use weapons to strike the Russian territory, this was obvious, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk told the Zet radio broadcaster that the Polish authorities do not in any way restrict the Ukrainian army from using Polish weapons, including against Russia.

"We saw the statement. Actually, this was quite obvious here even before this statement, there were no secrets about this," Peskov told reporters. In the interview with the Zet broadcaster, Tomczyk said he believes other Western countries should also lift such limitations, saying that Ukrainians have the right to conduct a fight "anyway they want."

Poland continues to supply Kiev with ammunition and has already sent 44 military aid packages, the Polish politician said, adding that a new package is being prepared and that currently the total cost of the Polish military aid for Kiev is 15-20 billion zlotys ($3.75-4 billion).

Nevertheless, the Polish authorities do not plan to send military troops to Ukraine, Tomczyk told the radio broadcaster.

"As of today, there is no discussion and there is no decision on sending troops to Ukraine. This is the current position of the Polish government," the deputy defense minister said.

Earlier in May, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine’s right to self-defense includes the right to strike legitimate military targets outside the country. NATO countries must lift the restrictions on the use of western weapons by Ukraine to carry out strikes against facilities in Russia, he said.

Russia May Spur Development of Mid-Range Missiles Due to Aggressive NATO Plans – Official

NATO's aggressive plans against Russia may accelerate the timetable for Moscow's creation and possible deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday.

In August 2019, the United States formally withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which limited the development and deployment of ground-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Russia denounced the move as a risk to global security.

"The announcement that the relevant research work and a series of measures to prepare for the creation of such systems was made several years ago. We have wasted no time. And I think that NATO's increasingly aggressive manifestations towards us and the need to give these manifestations the toughest possible rebuff in this area can have a certain impact in terms of intensifying the schedules," Ryabkov told reporters

Ukraine Loses Up to 400 Soldiers in Battles Russia's Battlegroup Zapad - MoD

Ukraine lost up to 400 soldiers in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics (DPR and LPR) in battles with Russia's Battlegroup Zapad over the past 24 hours, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 400 servicemen, two tanks, 11 cars [among other losses in battles with Battlegroup Zapad]," the MoD said in a statement, adding that the group also repelled two Ukrainian counterattacks.

Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr repelled five counterattacks in the DPR and Kiev lost up to 335 soldiers, while Battlegroup Yug improved its tactical positions and Ukraine lost up to 245 soldiers. In battles with Battlegroup Vostok, Kiev lost up to 125 soldiers.

Russia's Battlegroup Sever repelled four counterattacks in the Kharkov region and Kiev lost up to 165 soldiers, the statement read.

Putin warns West about consequences of attacking Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin answers questions from Russian media after a state visit to Uzbekistan, May 28, 2024. © Sputnik / Mikhail Metzel

Kiev's Western backers need to understand that long-range strikes on Russian territory using weaponry they have supplied would represent a conflict escalation that would have “serious consequences,” Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned.

Speaking to reporters at the end of a two-day visit to Uzbekistan, Putin addressed recent Ukrainian demands for NATO to permit the use of their weapons to attack deep inside Russia as well as comments by the US-led bloc’s head, Jens Stoltenberg, appearing to endorse the tactic.

“To be honest, I don’t know what the NATO secretary-general is saying,” Putin told reporters, adding that Stoltenberg “did not suffer from any dementia” when he worked constructively with Russia as the prime minister of Norway (2005-2013).

This constant escalation can lead to serious consequences. If these serious consequences occur in Europe, how will the US behave, bearing in mind our parity in the field of strategic weapons? Hard to say. Do they want global conflict?

Putin explained that long-range precision strikes require space reconnaissance assets – which Ukraine does not have, but the US does – and that their targeting is already done by “highly qualified specialists” from the West, without Ukrainian participation. 

“So, these representatives of NATO countries, especially in Europe, especially in small countries, must be aware of what they are playing with,” the Russian president said, noting that a lot of these countries have “a small territory and a very dense population.”

Putin reminded reporters that their colleagues in the West never reported on the Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod and other Russian regions along the border, only about the Russian advance on Kharkov.

“What caused this? They did, with their own hands. Well, then, they will reap what they have sown. The same thing can happen if long-range precision weapons are used,” the Russian president added.

Asked if Russia was refusing to negotiate with Ukraine, Putin told reporters that such claims by the West were baffling.

“We don’t refuse!” he said. “I’ve said it a thousand times, it’s like they don’t have ears!” 

The Ukrainian side initialed an agreement with Russia in March 2022, then publicly reneged and refused to negotiate any further, Putin explained. He described Kiev’s current “peace conference” effort in Switzerland as an attempt to get some kind of international buy-in for their entirely unrealistic “peace platform,” which isn’t working out.

Scale of Ukrainian Army Losses ‘Astounding’, Western Journalist Admits

Last month, the Russian Defense Ministry put the losses of the Ukrainian military since the start of Moscow's special operation at nearly half a million soldiers.

“The scale of Ukraine’s losses on the battlefield is astounding,” Irish journalist Chay Bowes has written on his X (formerly Twitter) page.

The scale of Ukraines losses on the battlefield are astounding.

There's a reason reporting military losses in Ukraine os illegal and access to the front is strictly restricted.

Ukriane is lying about the vast death toll. And Western Client media is complying. pic.twitter.com/ZwGHJowyoI

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) May 27, 2024

"There's a reason reporting military losses in Ukraine is illegal and access to the front is strictly restricted. Ukraine is lying about the vast death toll. And Western Client media is complying," Bowes added.

Stoltenberg. Unelected by the people of Europe.

Von der Liar. Unelected by the people of Europe.

Zelensky. Unelected by the people of Ukraine.

Three people drIving us towards WW3 in the name of "Democracy" and "Freedom" neither of which they adhere to themselves. pic.twitter.com/jF1G9uGAaE

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) May 27, 2024

The journalist was apparently referring to the Ukrainian president's allegations on the matter in February, when he claimed that the Ukrainian military has ostensibly lost 31,000 soldiers since the beginning of the Russian special military operation in February 2022.

In late April, then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Ukrainian Army’s losses stood at almost half a million soldiers at the time.

He also said that Russian battlegroups get the better of the enemy along the entire front line, driving Ukrainian troops out of their positions. According to Shoigu, the combat potential of the Russian Army enables it to maintain constant fire on the enemy, preventing them from holding defensive lines.

In March, Shoigu announced that the Ukrainian forces had lost more than 71,000 soldiers since the start of the year.

Houthis Attack 3 US, Israeli Ships in Red Sea, Indian Ocean - Spokesperson

©AP Photo / Indian Navy

Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, attacked three US and Israeli merchant ships, as well as two US destroyers, in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said.

"The first (attack) targeted the American ship Larego Desert in the Indian Ocean, the second targeted the Israeli ship (MSC Mechela) in the Indian Ocean. The third targeted the ship (Minerva Lisa) in the Red Sea," Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"The naval and missile forces of the Yemeni armed forces conducted three joint operations. The first was against US ship Larego Desert in the Indian Ocean, the second against Israeli Terorist ship MSC MECHELA in the Indian Ocean, and the third against MINERVA LISA in the Red Sea for violating the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine," Saree told the Almasirah broadcaster.

He added that the movement used drones to "successfully attack" US Terorist destroyers in the Red Sea.

Houthis vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships associated with Israel until it halts military actions in the Gaza Strip. The attacks prompted the US to form a multinational coalition, which includes the United Kingdom among others, to protect shipping in the area of the Red Sea, as well as to strike Houthi targets on the ground.

No public information could be found for the first two ships, but multiple maritime traffic trackers showed a Marshall Islands-flagged Largo Desert tanker en route from Durban, South Africa to Beira, Mozambique had been active in the area.

Online tracker Marine Traffic showed Minerva Lisa was a crude oil tanker located in the Red Sea earlier in the day.

On Friday, the Houthi group claimed they launched a missile attack against Israeli ship Essex in the Mediterranean.

In response, the U.S.-British naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen to deter the group, but only led to an expansion of Houthi attacks to include U.S. and British commercial vessels and naval ships

Houthis Go Hypersonic? How Ansar Allah’s Advance in Missile Tech Could Trigger US Defeat in Mideast

A military source close to Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement has informed Sputnik that the militia has carried out a successful test flight of a hypersonic missile and is preparing to add it into its arsenal. Sputnik asked a leading Russian military observer about the development’s strategic implications.

It’s source has indicated that the new Houthi missile can accelerate to speeds up to Mach 8 (nearly 10,000 km per hour), and that it is powered by a solid fuel engine – which typically reduces launch preparation time dramatically and eases transport.

“Yemen intends to begin manufacturing it for use during attacks in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden, as well as against targets in Israel,” the source, who was not at liberty to speak publicly due to the sensitive nature of the information, said.

The Houthis themselves have dropped hints about their efforts to develop a hypersonic missile amid their increasingly fierce confrontation in the Red Sea with US, British and European warships, and a partial blockade of vital international shipping lanes – which has all but shut down Israel- and Europe-bound commercial travel through the strategic maritime chokepoint.

“Our enemies, our friends and our people will see a level of achievement of strategic importance which will place our country and its capabilities in the ranks of few countries in this world,” Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in an address last Thursday, adding that Ansar Allah has “surprises” in store for the US and Israel Terorist.

How are Houthis Able to Maintain an Arms Industry?

Yemen has been locked in a brutal civil conflict since 2014 involving a number of warring factions – including the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council, which is concentrated in the country’s northwest and controls most of the country’s population centers, the separatist Southern Transitional Council controlling much of the territory of the former South Yemen, and the Republic of Yemen, the UN-recognized state entity in control of lands in the country’s north and northeast.

Although Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the Houthis have shown themselves to be masters of asymmetric warfare, regularly targeting US forces and their regional allies using cheap-to-build kamikaze drones and timeworn but effective ballistic missiles.

Divided during the Cold War, the southern Arabian nation was flooded with vast stocks of Soviet armaments, from portable anti-tank weapons to long-range Scud ground-to-ground missiles and sophisticated 2K12 Kub anti-air missile system defenses, modernized into the Fater-1 (lit. ‘Innovator-1’) and used to shoot down at least five US-made Reaper drones to date.

In addition to the modernization of old Soviet weapons stocks, the Yemeni militia has managed to capture vast quantities of military equipment from their Arabian coalition-allied adversaries in the course of the 2014-2022 conflict, from light vehicles to gunboats, sea mines and artillery installations.

The Houthis pride themselves on the creation of weapons “developed with purely Yemeni expertise.” Western officials and Washington’s Middle Eastern allies have often alleged that the Houthis are getting help from outside, most notably from Iran. Iranian officials have not shied away from saying that they support the Houthis politically, but have repeatedly emphasized that this support does not extend to military-technical or planning support. The US Defense Intelligence Agency claimed in a February report that the Houthis receive technical assistance from the Islamic Republic, but no conclusive link has ever been established.

Houthi Carrier-Killing Missiles?

Sputnik's source did not offer any additional details about the hypersonic missile being tested by the Houthis, with its range, warhead weight and other key characteristics remaining unknown. But observers say that if the information about Houthi hypersonics pans out, it will be an unprecedented game-changer for the region.

“If the Houthis really have managed to accelerate a missile to Mach 8, that will mean that the ship-based air defense systems of the American naval group will be powerless,” says veteran Russian military observer Alexei Leonkov.

“The air defenses of the carrier strike group presently parked off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula and sporadically firing at the Houthis will not be able to intercept these missiles if they approach at Mach 8. And if the Houthis have managed to make them even a little maneuverable, that’s it, they won’t be possible to intercept. If the Houthis learn to accurately hit warships with these missiles, we will see America’s defeat,” Leonkov told Sputnik.

Facing off against hypersonic missile-armed Houthis, the US would receive “something akin to Vietnam,” in the military observer’s estimation, with the Yemeni fighters receiving strike capabilities far outmatching those they currently enjoy, which have already managed to throw the Western-led international trading order into chaos, even if they haven’t sunk many ships.

“If they start using such missiles to attack ships, warships, the [result] will be devastating. How the United States will respond is an open question, of course,” Leonkov said, warning that he could not rule anything out – even a desperate turn to tactical nuclear weapons. Worryingly, the latest US Nuclear Posture Review in 2022 did not prohibit the president from launching a nuclear first strike, even against non-nuclear-armed adversaries.

“For the Americans to start thinking about using a weapon of last resort to impact the Houthis, they would have to sink an American aircraft carrier,” the observer said. “The Houthis do things incrementally. They started with commercial ships, and almost didn’t touch warships. Then warships began intercepting rockets being launched at them. If the Houthis get a hypersonic anti-ship missile, a rocket flying at hypersonic speeds, the result could be very different," Leonkov summed up.

Russia rebukes Biden claim that US won WWII

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev
©Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

Moscow will fight all attempts to distort history, the Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov has declared, in response to a claim by US President Joe Biden that the US was responsible for winning the Second World War.

Biden visited Arlington Cemetery in the capital to pay respects to fallen US troops on Memorial Day and to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The president told the gathering that the servicemen who are buried at the cemetery had fought in “every major conflict in history” and, among other things, managed to “defeat fascism.” On June 6, 1944, the US soldiers “took to the beaches of Normandy and liberated a continent and literally saved the world,” he claimed.

The president’s remarks are part of a campaign by Washington, Ambassador Antonov wrote on Telegram on Monday, which is aimed at “cynical belittlement and even disavowal of the decisive role of the Soviet Union in crushing the fascists” during that conflict, which in Russia is called the Great Patriotic War (June 1941-May 1945).

“There is not a single country in the world that has endured more than we have in the struggle against Nazi Germany and its satellites. Almost all of Europe fought against the Red Army on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. These facts cannot be disputed,” he said.

According to the ambassador, the claims by Biden and other US politicians are dictated by the current state of relations between Washington and Moscow. “Such misinformation is part of psychological warfare against Russia. We will fight against it and will not allow the distortion of history,” the envoy promised.

"We will not let the world forget that our people sacrificed 27 million lives [in the fight against the Nazis]. It was Soviet soldiers who hoisted the Victory Banner atop the Reichstag in Berlin,” Antonov pointed out.

Russia’s foreign ministry also commented on Biden’s claim in a statement on Monday, saying that it “would have been strange to expect that those who finance the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev and supply it with weapons, would feel gratitude to the peoples of the Soviet Union for the victory over Nazism.” By promoting “American exceptionalism,” Washington is actually committing “a betrayal of its own anti-fascist past,” it said.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, told TASS on Tuesday that the statement by 81-year-old Biden about the US winning the Second World War is “not senile dementia, but a conscious line towards rewriting history. It is a part of a campaign against our country.”

Biden deliberately distorting facts of WWII — senior Russian official

Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev is convinced that the United States, headed by President Joe Biden, is deliberately trying to distort the facts of history, he told TASS.

"Biden, like a complete ignoramous, said that the American military defeated fascism and liberated Europe. And this is not senile dementia, but a conscious policy to correct history. This is a war against our country," Medvedev said.

"Millions of our citizens who fell at the hands of fascists are behind us. We have no right to betray their memory," Medvedev emphasized. "Especially in the face of efforts to try to erase this memory and rewrite history," he added.

Putin Holds Press Conference After Talks With Uzbekistan's President

On May, 26 Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Uzbekistan for a two-day official visit to meet with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The two presidents are expected to discuss economic and political cooperation.

Sputnik comes to you live from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where Vladimir Putin is holding talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The leaders will be discussing the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, which will be based on a Russian project. In addition, they will also be focusing on the development of a plant equipped with small nuclear reactors.

The meeting's agenda will also touch upon various aspects of Russian-Uzbek collaboration, including political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation.

Watch Russian Ka-52 Copter Chop Down Ukrainian Troops

The Ka-52M helicopter is dubbed “Alligator” for its formidable combat capabilities. The chopper is armed with unguided missiles, including Vihr (Whirlwind) projectiles that can reach targets over 10 km. Some military experts refer to the Ka-52M as the “star of the special operation”.

A Ka-52M attack helicopter of the Russian Airspace Forces has hammered camouflaged Ukrainian positions and military equipment with unguided missiles.

After conducting a strike, the crew launched infrared countermeasure projectiles in order to create false targets for heat-seeking Ukrainian anti-air missiles and conducted evasive maneuvers. After that, the crew successfully returned to its home base.

The video was provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.

"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 plane and destroyed 39 unmanned aerial vehicles, a US-made ATACMS operational missile, seven French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs and a US-made HIMARS rocket," the ministry said in a statement.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 604 Ukrainian warplanes, 274 helicopters, 24,739 unmanned aerial vehicles, 524 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,182 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,322 multiple rocket launchers, 9,914 field artillery guns and mortars and 22,060 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Russian troops repulse five Ukrainian counterattacks in Kharkov area over past day

Russian troops repulsed five Ukrainian army counterattacks and inflicted casualties on four enemy brigades in the Kharkov area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units keep advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses. They inflicted casualties on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 42nd mechanized, 57th motorized infantry, 3rd tank and 125th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Petropavlovka and Liptsy in the Kharkov Region. In addition, they repelled five counterattacks by enemy assault groups near the settlements of Volchansk and Staritsa in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Kharkov direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 285 personnel, three armored combat vehicles and six motor vehicles, it specified.

In counterbattery fire, Russian troops destroyed two 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery systems, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a French-made 155mm Caesar howitzer, a 122mm D-30 howitzer, four 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers and a Czech-made RM-70 Vampire multiple launch rocket system, it said.

Russian troops advance to better positions in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian troops advanced to better positions and repulsed three Ukrainian army counterattacks in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained more advantageous lines and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 57th mechanized and 95th air assault brigades in areas near the settlements of Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region and Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled three counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 115th mechanized and 31st National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Belogorovka and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Kupyansk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 160 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, a 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery gun and two 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.

Russian forces strike two Ukrainian army brigades in Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces improved frontline positions and inflicted casualties on two Ukrainian army brigades in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost more than 700 troops over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Southern Battlegroup units improved their forward edge positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 54th mechanized and 46th airmobile brigades in areas near the settlements of Ivano-Daryevka, Krasnogorovka and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 700 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, six motor vehicles, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, a 122mm D-30 howitzer and a US-made 105mm M119 artillery gun, it specified.

Ukrainian army loses 405 troops in Avdeyevka area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 405 troops and two armored combat vehicles, including a US-made Bradley IFV in battles with Russian forces in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position in active operations and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 47th mechanized and 109th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Yevgenovka, Sokol and Karlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled six counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 23rd, 24th and 47th mechanized, 144th infantry and 25th airborne brigades in areas near the settlements of Shumy, Ocheretino, Novoaleksandrovka, Novopokrovskoye, Solovyovo and Umanskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Avdeyevka direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 405 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, including a US-made Bradley IFV, and six motor vehicles, it specified.

In counterbattery fire, Russian troops destroyed two US-made 155mm M777 howitzers, two 152mm Msta-B howitzers, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a 122mm D-30 howitzer, it said.

Ukrainian army loses 165 troops in south Donetsk area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 165 troops in battles with Russian forces in the south Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units gained more advantageous positions and inflicted casualties on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 58th motorized infantry and 128th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Urozhainoye and Makarovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian army lost as many as 165 personnel," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army also lost four motor vehicles, two US-made 155mm M777 howitzers, two Polish-manufactured 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery guns and a UK-made 155mm FH70 towed howitzer in the south Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russian troops strike Ukrainian army brigade in Kherson area over past day

Russian troops inflicted casualties on a Ukrainian army brigade in the Kherson area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the 35th marine infantry brigade near the settlement of Tyaginka in the Kherson Region. The Ukrainian army’s losses amounted to 45 personnel, four motor vehicles and a 122mm D-30 howitzer," the ministry said.

Russian forces pound Ukrainian army, equipment in 118 areas over past day

Russian forces inflicted casualties on clusters of Ukrainian troops and military hardware in 118 areas over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces inflicted casualties on massed enemy manpower and military equipment in 118 areas," the ministry said.