The Southern Group of the Russian Federation’s military aviation conducted missile and bombing strikes against Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the Kleshcheevka region, according to a statement from DEA News citing the group’s press center head, Vadim Astafyev.
Astafyev noted that the aviation made missile and air-burst bomb attacks on locations where Ukrainian forces were concentrated in the settlement of Kleshcheevka.
Reports indicate that a Mi-35 helicopter crew destroyed an armored personnel carrier belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces with an anti-tank guided missile.
On July 3, Astafyev announced that Russian aviation carried out missile and bombing strikes against areas of manpower and equipment accumulation across three directions of operation.
Earlier, the head of the press center for the Yug group said that artillery units of the Russian forces eliminated three mortar positions and destroyed two Ukrainian army brigade strongholds near the village of Kalinovka.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a decision to conduct a military operation in Ukraine in response to requests for assistance from the heads of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
The move triggered a wave of sanctions from the United States and its allies, reflecting the international response to the ongoing crisis.
Earlier discussions about negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have continued in various formats, with the broader context of the conflict shaping both diplomatic and on-ground developments.