Russian Air Defenses Destroy 43 Ukrainian Military Drones over Past Day

It is reported that Russian forces destroyed three Ukrainian ammunition depots in the Zaporozhye area over the past day

© Russian Defence Ministry

MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces destroyed 43 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and intercepted three rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities intercepted three rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system," the spokesman said.

In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed 43 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Tavolzhanka and Zhovtnevoye in the Kharkov Region, Novodruzhesk, Berestovoye and Zaliman in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Krasnaya Gora and Podgornoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Novogorovka, Rabotino, Gulyaipole and Mirnoye in the Zaporozhye Region and Geroiskoye in the Kherson Region, the general reported.

Russian forces continue successful offensive operations in Kupyansk area

Russian forces continued successful offensive operations in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, units of the western battlegroup continue successful offensive operations within their area of responsibility. In total, they have advanced two kilometers along the front and 1.5 kilometers in depth," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate 65 Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area, eliminating roughly 65 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Kotlyarovka in the Kharkov Region, an ammunition depot of the 103rd territorial defense brigade was destroyed. The enemy’s losses [in the Kupyansk direction] amounted to 65 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles and a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station," the spokesman said.

Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Kalinovo, Berestovoye, Kislovka and Tabayevka in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general specified.

During the last 24-hour period, Ukrainian troops continued offensive attempts in the Donetsk, Krasny Liman and south Donetsk directions, he said.

Russian forces repel 12 Ukrainian attacks in Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces repelled 12 Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, 12 enemy attacks were successfully repelled in the past 24 hours by well-coordinated and active operations by units of the southern battlegroup in areas near the settlements of Pervomaiskoye, Krasnogorovka, Vesyoloye, Maryinka and northwest of Kleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In areas near the settlements of Stupochki, Konstantinovka and Krasnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian forces struck amassed Ukrainian manpower and military equipment, the general said.

"In the area of the settlement of Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 79th air assault brigade was destroyed," the spokesman said.

Ukraine’s military loses 400 troops in Donetsk area over past day

Ukraine’s military lost 400 troops in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s losses in the battles in that direction amounted to 400 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks, a US-made M777 artillery system, three Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery systems, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system, two Msta-B howitzers, and D-20 and D-30 guns," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy 100 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area over past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Krasny Liman area, destroying roughly 100 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"As many as 100 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery gun and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed in that direction in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, Russian forces repulsed two Ukrainian attacks and neutralized an enemy subversive and reconnaissance group in the Krasny Liman direction, the general reported.

Russian forces destroy over 200 Ukrainian troops in south Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces repulsed six Ukrainian attacks and destroyed over 200 enemy troops in the south Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk direction, operational/tactical and army aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army’s manpower and equipment in areas near the settlements of Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Priyutnoye in the Zaporozhye Region. In areas near the settlements of Vladimirovka and Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, three enemy attacks were repulsed. In the Zaporozhye direction, three enemy attacks were repelled by well-coordinated actions of Russian units near the settlement of Novodanilovka in the Zaporozhye Region. In areas near the settlements of Malaya Tokmachka and Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region, damage by firepower was inflicted on the Ukrainian army’s amassed manpower and equipment," the spokesman said.

The enemy’s losses in those directions in the past 24 hours amounted to "over 200 personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, a Msta-B howitzer and a D-44 gun," the general reported.

Russian forces wipe out three Ukrainian ammo depots in Zaporozhye area over past day

Russian forces destroyed three Ukrainian ammunition depots in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army’s 23rd and 33rd mechanized brigades were destroyed in areas near the settlements of Malaya Tokmachka and Uspenovka in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy 50 Ukrainian troops, three artillery guns in Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 50 Ukrainian troops, two howitzers and a motorized artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 50 Ukrainian personnel, four pickup trucks, two Msta-B howitzers and an Akatsiya motorized artillery system were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian forces strike 89 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions over past day

.Russian forces struck 89 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces struck 89 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 98 areas," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 455 Ukrainian warplanes, 242 combat helicopters, 5,090 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 surface-to-air missile systems, 10,740 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,139 multiple rocket launchers, 5,504 field artillery guns and mortars and 11,735 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the general reported.

Defense firm delivers new batch of T-90M, T-72B3M main battle tanks to Russian troops

The T-90M Proryv is the most advanced armored vehicle in the family of T-90 main battle tanks and most of all fit for modern warfare thanks to its all-round armor protection, top-notch all-weather highly automated fire control and enhanced survivability

MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. The Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) delivered a new batch of advanced T-90M Proryv (Breakthrough) and upgraded T-72B3M main battle tanks to Russian troops, the Industry and Trade Ministry announced on Tuesday.

"Defense enterprises timely meet the needs of our Armed Forces for advanced and reliable hardware. This work is controlled by the Russian Government’s Coordination Council. Enterprises have gained a good pace. In particular, Uralvagonzavod has boosted output more than threefold over the past year and has now delivered the next batch of T-90M Proryv and upgraded T-72B3M tanks to Russian troops. This armor is especially in demand in fulfilling objectives in the zone of the special military operation," the statement reads.

Uralvagonzavod qualitatively and timely fulfils the tasks set by the state in providing the army with reliable military hardware, Uralvagonzavod CEO Alexander Potapov said.

"This is proven by invariably good assessments of Uralvagonzavod’s armor given by the military participating in the special military operation," the chief executive said.

T-72B3M and T-90M Proryv main battle tanks

The upgraded T-72B3M tank features new protection that considerably enhances its survivability and the efficiency of employing this armor both in a combined arms battle and in a combat environment with the massive use of anti-tank weapons.

The upgraded T-72B3 tank is also outfitted with a new fire control system that features an automatic process of preparations for fire and considerably raises fire accuracy. The tank is equipped with a 1,000 hp high-power engine.

The T-72B3M is an upgraded version of the T-72B3 tank that has received a new sight system with a digital display and a rear view video camera. The tank’s armor has been reinforced with Relikt reactive armor side plates. The tank has also received a new 125mm cannon with the enhanced barrel life, a new R-168-25U-2 Akveduk ultra-short-wave radio station, new fire-fighting equipment and a Sosna-U multi-channel gunner sight.

The T-90M Proryv is the most advanced armored vehicle in the family of T-90 main battle tanks and most of all fit for modern warfare thanks to its all-round armor protection, top-notch all-weather highly automated fire control and enhanced survivability.

The tank has received a fundamentally new turret differing from the serial-produced combat module and a more powerful 1,130 hp engine. The Proryv is outfitted with a 125mm tank cannon that can fire new powerful munitions and also missiles capable of wiping out enemy tanks from a range of 5 km.

The new multichannel sight enables the tank to employ its armaments at any time of the day or night. In addition, the option of exchanging data with other combat vehicles in real time has been one of the upgraded tank’s major advantages.

Ukrainian counteroffensive to be ‘long, hard, bloody,’ US’ Milley says

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley added that his price would be high

WASHINGTON, July 19. /TASS/. The Ukrainian counteroffensive will be slow and its price will be high, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said Tuesday.

"I think there's a lot of fighting left to go and I'll stay with what we said before: This is going to be long. It's going be hard. It's going to be bloody," Milley said during a press conference in the Pentagon after a meeting of the Western working group on arms shipments for Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the Ukrainian armed forces had been making unsuccessful attempts at a counteroffensive since June 4, including in the Zaporozhye area. President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Ukrainian military had failed to achieve any success in any area. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, Ukrainian losses have exceeded 26,000 troops since the start of the counteroffensive.