Doha: Russia's Defense Ministry announced Sunday its forces had downed 361 Ukrainian drones and conducted a series of coordinated strikes on Ukrainian military positions along active frontlines. The ministry added in a statement that Russian operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops, and artillery units carried out attacks on 142 locations, including training centers for drone operators and temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations.
According to Qatar News Agency, the ministry reported that Russian air defense systems also intercepted four guided aerial bombs, a HIMARS missile, and the 361 unmanned aerial vehicles. The ministry further detailed that Russian forces targeted Ukrainian units in multiple areas of Donetsk, resulting in the loss of over 450 Ukrainian troops, along with combat vehicles and field artillery systems.
Additionally, Russia's Northern Group of forces reportedly advanced deeper into Ukrainian defenses in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, inflicting further losses. The ministry estimated around 170 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and several tanks, armored vehicles, field artillery, two electronic warfare stations, and six ammunition depots were destroyed.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities claimed earlier on Sunday that their air defense units had intercepted or neutralized 52 Russian drones across the country's north, south, east, and central regions. Since the onset of the conflict on February 24, 2022, Russia and Ukraine have regularly issued conflicting battlefield reports, with most claims remaining unverified by independent sources.