Russian Forces Destroy Two US-made HIMARS Rocket Systems in Ukraine Operation — Top Brass

Russian forces also wiped out two Ukrainian tanks, two armored combat vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and a D-20 howitzer in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas, Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported

HIMARS multiple launch rocket system ABACA via Reuters Connect, archive

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Russian forces destroyed two US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and a Ukrainian ammunition depot near Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.

"In the area of the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and an ammunition depot were destroyed," the spokesman said.

Russian forces inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Kupyansk area, eliminating roughly 70 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, active operations by forces from the western battlegroup supported by army aviation and artillery fire inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Tabayevka and Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

During the battles, Russian forces "eliminated as many as 70 Ukrainian servicemen, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, a D-20 howitzer and also a US-made M777 artillery system," the general specified.

Russian forces eliminated over 200 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman area, units from the battlegroup Center inflicted damage by combined firepower on the enemy troops in areas near the settlements of Stelmakhovka and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

"Over 200 Ukrainian troops, three armored combat vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, a D-30 howitzer and also two US-made M101 howitzers were destroyed in that area in the past 24 hours," the general specified.

The Ukrainian military suffered over 170 casualties in the Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk area, units from the southern battlegroup continue their offensive operations with the support of assault aircraft, heavy flamethrower systems and artillery. The enemy’s losses in that area in the past 24 hours amounted to over 170 Ukrainian personnel," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also wiped out five Ukrainian armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer and two D-30 howitzers, the general specified.

Russian forces eliminated about 70 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the battlegroup East inflicted damage by combined firepower on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar, Prechistovka and Zolotaya Niva in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The strikes eliminated as many as 70 Ukrainian personnel over the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also wiped out two Ukrainian tanks, two armored combat vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and a D-20 howitzer, the general added.

"In the area of the settlement of Ugledar, a Ukrainian ammunition depot was obliterated," he said.

Russian forces destroyed a US-made counter-battery radar and three Ukrainian self-propelled howitzers in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson area, an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer and two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers were destroyed in counter-battery fire in the past 24 hours, and also a US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar station near the settlement of Tomina Balka in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot in the area of the city of Kherson, the general added.

Russian forces struck over 90 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 94 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 128 areas," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces destroyed two HIMARS and Uragan rockets, 10 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two Tochka-U ballistic missiles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, Russian air defense capabilities destroyed 10 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Liman Vtoroi, Tavolzhanka and Grakovo in the Kharkov Region, Ploshchanka and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Panteleimonovka and Kirillovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Peremozhnoye in the Zaporozhye Region. In addition, they shot down two rockets of the HIMARS and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems, and also two Tochka-U tactical missiles in areas near the settlements of Bolshetroitskoye and Karaichnoye in the Belgorod Region," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 386 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 210 helicopters, 3,203 unmanned aerial vehicles, 405 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,960 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,037 multiple rocket launchers, 4,171 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,472 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.