Russian Forces Wipe Out US-made M777 Howitzer that Shelled Donetsk — Top Brass

It is also reported that Russian air defense systems destroyed seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Chervonoye, Kuteinikovo and Kropovnitskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Zmiyevka in the Kherson Region

US-made M777 howitzer AP Photo/LIBKOS

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Russian troops destroyed a US-made M777 howitzer used by the Ukrainian military to shell Donetsk residential areas, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday.

"In the area of the settlement of Georgiyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a position was uncovered and a US-made M777 artillery system that shelled Donetsk residential areas was destroyed," the spokesman told a briefing on the special military operation in Ukraine.

In the counter-battery warfare, Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian Grad multiple rocket launchers in areas near the settlements of Pervomaiskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kamyshevakha in the Zaporozhye Region, the general specified.

Russian forces delivered a strike on amassed Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Kharkov Region, eliminating about 20 militants in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk area, a concentrated strike on amassed Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the area of the settlement of Kislovka in the Kharkov Region eliminated as many as 20 Ukrainian troops, an infantry fighting vehicle and two motor vehicles," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance group and a mortar team in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman area, Russian artillery fire inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Makeyevka and Nevskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic. In addition, near the communities of Stelmakhovka and Chervonaya Dibrova, a Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance group and a mortar team were eliminated," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, the enemy lost over 30 troops, two combat armored vehicles and two pickup trucks in that area, the general specified.

Russian troops delivered a strike on the command post of the Ukrainian army’s 80th air assault brigade near Kramatorsk, inflicting about 100 casualties on the enemy in the Donetsk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces continued their advance in the Donetsk area, taking advantageous positions, the spokesman said.

"The enemy’s total losses in that area in the past 24 hours amounted to 100 servicemen, four infantry fighting vehicles and eight motor vehicles," the general specified.

In particular, "the strikes against the command post of the Ukrainian army’s 80th air assault brigade in the area of the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic eliminated over 35 Ukrainian servicemen, including five senior officers," Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces delivered an artillery strike on Ukrainian army units in the southern Donetsk area, eliminating over 40 militants in the past day, he said.

"In the southern Donetsk area, artillery fire and active operations of Russian forces inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units near the settlements of Vladimirovka, Ugledar, Novodonetskoye and Novosyolka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroyed over 40 Ukrainian troops, two combat armored vehicles and three pickup trucks in that area in the past day, the general specified.

Russian missile troops and artillery delivered strikes on the deployment sites of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade and foreign mercenaries in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Missile troops and artillery struck 63 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 79 areas. In the areas of the settlements of Yelizavetovka and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the temporary deployment sites of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade and also foreign mercenaries were struck," the spokesman said.

Russian troops wiped out a Ukrainian armament repair base with two HIMARS rocket launchers, two Gvozdika and five D-30 howitzers near Kramatorsk in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a Ukrainian armament repair and recovery point with two US-made HIMARS rocket launchers, two self-propelled Gvozdika and five D-30 howitzers and three special motor vehicles was destroyed," the spokesman said.

Russian air defense forces intercepted two HIMARS rockets in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities intercepted two rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system in areas near the settlements of Rubezhnoye and Krasnorechenskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, and also two HARM anti-radar missiles near the community of Bairak in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Chervonoye, Kuteinikovo and Kropovnitskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Zmiyevka in the Kherson Region, the general added.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 352 Ukrainian warplanes, 192 helicopters, 2,731 unmanned aerial vehicles, 399 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,249 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 944 multiple rocket launchers, 3,719 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,765 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.