The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its air defenses shot down 15 unmanned aerial vehicles belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a single day. The statement was shared with reporters from the department. The ministry also noted a cumulative tally since the conflict began: 418 aircraft, 230 helicopters, and 4,042 drones destroyed.
In a separate update, the ministry said Russian attack aircraft pressed the offensive in Artemovsk, known in Ukrainian as Bakhmut, gaining two additional city blocks in the northwestern and western sectors over the last 24 hours. The attack missions were supported by Air Force units that helped seal off the enemy on the flanks.
According to the Russian Federation’s Defense Ministry, operations in the Donetsk direction included tactical and army aviation strikes, along with artillery fire from the South troop group. The reported outcome targeted units of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade and the 80th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the settlements of Bogdanovka and Stupochki within the Donetsk People’s Republic.