Russia has launched the third stage of the non-strategic nuclear forces drills, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"In accordance with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, the third stage of the strategic nuclear forces exercise has begun. During the exercise, the issues of training units of the Russian armed forces for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will be worked out," the statement read.
The troops of the southern and central military districts during the third stage of the exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces will train obtaining special munitions and equipping them with Iskander-M missiles, advancing and preparing for launches, the ministry added.
The drills are aimed at maintaining the readiness of the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons for combat missions, the ministry said.
"The current stage of the exercise is aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units of combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons of Russia to perform combat missions," the stateemnt read.
Russian troops strike Ukrainian army, equipment in 143 areas over past day
Russian troops struck Ukrainian army units and military hardware in 143 areas over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.
"Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck massed enemy manpower and military equipment in 143 areas," the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Battlegroup North strikes five Ukrainian army brigades over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup North struck five Ukrainian army brigades and inflicted roughly 350 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup North units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 42nd mechanized, 82nd assault, 92nd air assault, 57th motorized infantry and 36th marine infantry brigades in areas near the settlements of Tikhoye, Liptsy, Staritsa and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region. Over the past 24 hours, they repelled two counterattacks by enemy assault groups," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 350 personnel, a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle, a 122mm D-30 howitzer and a 100mm Rapira anti-tank gun, it specified.
In addition, Russian troops destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup West gains better frontline positions over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup West advanced to better positions and inflicted roughly 470 casualties on Ukrainian troops over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup West units kept taking more advantageous frontiers and positions. They inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 30th and 67th mechanized and 3rd assault brigades, 12th Azov special operations brigade [outlawed in Russia as a terrorist organization] and 1st separate territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region, Novosadovoye and Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Nevskoye and Makeyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic. They repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 470 personnel, nine motor vehicles, a 155mm FH70 howitzer and a 105mm L119 artillery gun of British manufacture, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer and two 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.
In addition, Russian troops destroyed three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 710 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 710 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed a German-made Leopard tank in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup South units improved their tactical position and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 24th, 32nd and 54th mechanized and 79th air assault brigades in areas near the settlements of Chasov Yar, Verkhnekamenskoye, Seversk and Katerinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repulsed a counterattack by an assault group of the Ukrainian army," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 710 personnel, a German-made Leopard tank, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, three US-made 155mm M777 howitzers, two motor vehicles, a British-made 155mm FH70 howitzer, two British-made 105mm L119 artillery guns, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and two Anklav-N electronic warfare stations, it specified.
In addition, Russian troops destroyed three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup Center strikes six Ukrainian army brigades over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup Center kept advancing westward and struck six Ukrainian army brigades in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup Center units kept advancing westward and inflicted casualties on the Ukrainian army’s 31st, 32nd, 47th and 53rd mechanized, 151st motorized infantry and 111th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Dzerzhinsk, Zhelannoye, Novgorodskoye, Grodovka and Vozdvizhenka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled three counterattacks by enemy assault groups," the ministry said.
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 350 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 350 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"The Ukrainian army lost as many as 350 personnel, a tank, an armored personnel carrier, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer, five 122mm D-30 howitzers, a US-made 105mm M119 artillery gun and a 100mm Rapira gun," the ministry said.
Russia’s Battlegroup East improves frontline positions over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup East improved its frontline positions and inflicted roughly 150 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup East units improved their forward edge positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 116th mechanized, 108th, 120th and 129th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Rovnopol, Velikaya Novosyolka and Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Zaliznichnoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 150 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, six motor vehicles, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery gun and a 152mm D-20 howitzer, it specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr wipes out Ukrainian ammo depot over past day
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted casualties on three Ukrainian army brigades and destroyed an enemy ammunition depot in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 128th mountain assault, 35th marine infantry and 121st territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Lugovoye and Pyatikhatki in the Zaporozhye Region and Tyaginka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 100 personnel, seven motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system, a US-manufactured 155mm M777 howitzer, a US-made AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery radar station and a 152mm D-20 howitzer, it specified.
In addition, Russian troops destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russian air defenses destroy 42 Ukrainian UAVs, two HIMARS rockets over past day
Russian air defense forces shot down 42 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), two HIMARS rockets and a Neptune long-range missile over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Air defense capabilities shot down two US-made HIMARS rockets, a Neptune long-range missile and 42 unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 631 Ukrainian warplanes, 278 helicopters, 28,734 unmanned aerial vehicles, 556 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,732 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,393 multiple rocket launchers, 12,597 field artillery guns and mortars and 24,225 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.
