Russian Forces Strike Command Posts of Three Ukrainian Army Brigades in DPR — Top Brass

Russian troops destroyed two HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, three tanks, three armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles, two D-20 and D-30 howitzers, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-batter radar in Donetsk direction

HIMARS multiple launch rocket system EPA-EFE/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE

MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. Russian forces struck the command posts of three Ukrainian army brigades in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and destroyed a fuel depot near Poltava in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.

"In the past 24 hours, army aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck the command posts of the Ukrainian army’s 36th marine infantry brigade near the community of Avdeyevka, 72nd mechanized brigade near the settlement of Uglesborochnaya, 102nd territorial defense brigade near the community of Malinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and also 92 artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 118 areas," the spokesman said.

"In the area of the city of Poltava, a depot storing fuel and lubricants for the Ukrainian military equipment was destroyed," the general added.

Russian forces and artillery inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Kupyansk area, eliminating over 60 enemy troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, active operations of units and artillery of the western battlegroup inflicted damage on amassed Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in areas near the settlements of Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Dvurechnaya, Krakhmalnoye and Olshana in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

During the battles, "as many as 65 Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles and a Grad multiple rocket launcher were destroyed," the general specified.

Russian forces eliminated over 100 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Over 100 Ukrainian army personnel, three armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, two D-20 howitzers and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer were destroyed in that [Krasny Liman] direction in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.

In that direction, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the Russian battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in the areas of the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova and Kuzmino in the Lugansk People’s Republic in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces eliminated roughly 135 Ukrainian troops in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, as many as 135 Ukrainian personnel, two HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, three tanks, three armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles, two D-20 and D-30 howitzers, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and also a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-batter radar were destroyed as a result of offensive operations and artillery fire of the southern battlegroup," the spokesman said.

In the area of the settlement of Verkhnekamenskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian forces obliterated an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 54th mechanized brigade, the general specified.

The Ukrainian military suffered over 55 casualties in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, artillery of the battlegroup East inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar and Prechistovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy’s losses in that area in the past 24 hours totaled over 55 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, four armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, and also D-20 and D-30 howitzers," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wiped out four Ukrainian ammunition depots in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the city of Kherson, the communities of Dudchany and Berislav, four ammunition depots of the 123rd and 126th territorial defense brigades were struck," the spokesman said.

Russian forces also obliterated an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer and a Msta-B howitzer of the Ukrainian army in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter, 20 unmanned aerial vehicles and four HIMARS rockets over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Russian air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter near the community of Doroshkovka in the Kharkov Region. In addition, in the past 24 hours, they intercepted four rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed 20 unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Stelmakhovka and Zhovtnevoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Aleksandrovka, Novomayorskoye and Vladimirovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Konovalova and Yablokovo in the Zaporozhye Region, Kalanchak in the Kherson Region and Kislovka in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 385 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 209 helicopters, 3,152 unmanned aerial vehicles, 404 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,891 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,024 multiple rocket launchers, 4,111 field artillery guns and mortars and 8,407 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

Western military equipment sent to Ukraine to be ground down, says senior Russian diplomat

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also criticized the West’s policy regarding arms supplies to Kiev, blasting it as "an absurd decision"

MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. All Western military equipment that is currently being delivered to Ukraine, will be ground down, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Channel One on Thursday.

"Everything that is being put on board of another vessel now will be ground down. All those Leopard [tanks] <…> will be plunged by our fire in Ukraine," he said.

Deputy Minister also criticized the West’s policy regarding arms supplies to Kiev, blasting it as "an absurd decision."

Banalizing the issue of using nuclear weapons has become another "sad aspect" of the current developments, he said, adding though that Moscow remains committed to the principle of unacceptability of nuclear war.