Russian forces destroyed a fuel depot of the Ukrainian army near the city of Zaporozhye over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.
"In the area of the city of Zaporozhye, a depot storing fuel for Ukrainian military hardware was destroyed. Near the settlement of Borovaya in the Kharkov Region, a US-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar was obliterated. Also, a Ukrainian Zoopark-1 reconnaissance and fire control radar was destroyed near the settlement of Nikopol in the Dnepropetrovsk Region," the spokesman said.
In the past 24 hours, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 72 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 102 areas, the general reported.
Watch Russian Troops Crush Ukrainian Defenses in Donetsk Region
Russian forces used unmanned aerial vehicles to manage and direct fire during the operation in real time.
©Sputnik. Russian Ministry of Defence / Russian offensive in the South Ukraine
The Russian military managed to take control of the village of Spornoye and the defense post, wiping out dozens of Ukrainian soldiers, machine gun nests, and approaching Ukrainian reinforcements.
Russian troops capture Ukrainian defense post in Donetsk region
The attacking force was supported by armored units furnished with T-90, T-80, T-72B3 main battle tanks, and BMP-2 IFVs.
Russian troops managed to take control of the Spornoye settlement and a defense post, obliterating dozens of Ukrainian soldiers, machine gun nests, and approaching Ukrainian reinforcements
Russian military clarifies frontline situation in Ukraine
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied rumors of a large-scale Ukrainian counteroffensive, saying in a statement on Thursday that most of the frontline appeared to be relatively calm, with the only heavy fighting in and near Artyomovsk, also known as Bakhmut.
“Reports by certain Telegram channels of ‘breaches of defenses’ in several places along the line of contact are not accurate,” the ministry said around 11pm Moscow time. “The general situation in the area of the special military operation is under control.”
According to the Russian military, the last remaining part of Artyomovsk was being stormed with air force and artillery support, while there was an “ongoing battle” to repel the attack of Ukrainian units in the direction of Malo-Ilyinkovka northwest of the city, with “heavy enemy casualties in lives and equipment.”
Eight Ukrainian attacks and three attempts at reconnaissance were repelled on the Donetsk front, the Russian military said. Russian forces' efforts to take all of Marynka and blockade Avdeevka are continuing.
Ukrainian troops attempted two attacks towards Kremennaya but were repulsed and three scouting parties were defeated further north near Kupyansk. The ministry also published a list of Ukrainian losses on the Kherson front and reported shooting down 12 HIMARS rockets and an Su-25 ground attack jet.
Earlier in the day, multiple military correspondents had reported that the Ukrainian counteroffensive might have begun, with a “breakthrough” near Artyomovsk and several attacks along the frontline. One reporter cited military sources to claim that the Ukrainians had used chemical weapons on a stretch of the Zaporozhye front as well.
Kiev has not commented on Thursday’s movements so far. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claimed his military still needs more time to prepare before the long-awaited spring counteroffensive.
Special operation, May 11th. Main:
▪️Losses of the Ukrainian military per day in various directions amounted to about 550 people, the RF Ministry of Defense reported;
▪️An attempt was made on the chairman of the court of the Zaporozhye region in Melitopol, he was not injured, two guards were hospitalized, Balitsky said;
▪️The FSB thwarted an attempt by the Ukrainian special services to recruit the first deputy head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the DPR, a representative of the department said;
▪️A Ukrainian drone attacked the Klintsovsk oil depot, there were no casualties;
▪️The American "Patriot" air defense system could not shoot down the Russian "Dagger" missile, as it is not capable of intercepting targets at such a speed, a high-ranking source in the Russian Defense Ministry said;
▪️ Former adviser to the head of Zelensky's office, Arestovich, is included in the list of terrorists by Rosfinmonitoring;
▪️British Defense Minister confirmed that London is transferring Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv;
▪️The Black Sea Initiative and the “grain deal” included in it will cease to exist in the absence of consensus, Vershinin said.
