In the Kupiansk direction of the special operation, thanks to the coordinated actions of units of the Zapad grouping, strikes by aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, nine attacks by assault groups of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 14th, and the 43rd Mechanized Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were repelled in the areas of Sinkovka (Kharkiv region) and Yampolivka (DPR). This was stated in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Along with this, concentrations of enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Petropavlovka (Kharkiv region) and Terny (DPR) were hit. The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 55 servicemen, as well as two vehicles and two D-30 howitzers.
In the Krasnolimansk direction, units of the Center group repelled an attack by the 12th Special Forces Brigade in the area of Chervona Dibrova (LPR).
Aviation and artillery hit the manpower and equipment of the 63rd, 67th mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the village of Torskoye (DPR) and the Serebryansky forestry.
The enemy lost up to 190 servicemen, as well as three infantry fighting vehicles and a D-20 howitzer.
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In the Donetsk direction, units of the "South" grouping, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, repelled 17 attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and also hit the manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Bogdanovka, Belaya Gora, Artyomovo, Georgievka (DPR). In total, the enemy lost up to 210 servicemen in this direction, three pickup trucks were destroyed.
Along with this, a British-made AS-90 self-propelled artillery unit, three Akatsiya self-propelled guns, two Gvozdika self-propelled guns, a D-20 howitzer, as well as a US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar were hit.
In the South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok grouping, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, hit the manpower and equipment of the 72nd mechanized and 79th Air Assault Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Katerinovka and Novomikhailovka (DPR).
The enemy lost up to 65 servicemen, as well as a tank, three vehicles, a Hyacinth-S self-propelled gun and a D-20 howitzer.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, units of the Russian group of troops repelled an attack by an assault group of the 65th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the village of Rabotino (Zaporizhzhia region).
Aviation and artillery struck enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of Novodanylivka and Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia region). The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 75 soldiers and four vehicles.
In the Kherson direction, as a result of the active actions of units of Russian troops, as well as artillery and aviation strikes, the enemy lost more than 70 servicemen, three vehicles, an Msta-B howitzer, as well as a Hyacinth-B gun.
Aviation, drones, missile forces and artillery of groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit the manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 129 districts. Air defense systems shot down 29 Ukrainian drones, as well as four HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems.
Later, the Ministry of Defense also spoke about the prevention of a new attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch a missile attack on Russian territory. As follows from the message of the department, these events took place at about 15:00 Moscow time on December 21.
"Russian air defense systems destroyed a Ukrainian missile over the Sea of Azov," the ministry said.
Earlier, in early December, the Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of two S-200 anti-aircraft missiles converted to hit ground targets in the Sea of Azov.