Russia says it takes control of Ukraine's entire Kherson region
Russian Defense Ministry says Ukraine's 6 fighter jets, 7 helicopters, 13 unmanned aerial vehicles were hit in past day
Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that Ukraine's southern Kherson region fell completely under the control of the Russian army.
The Russian military, together with the rebel forces of Donbas, continue to develop the offensive, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a daily briefing in Moscow.
Over the past day, six Ukrainian fighter jets, seven helicopters, and 13 unmanned aerial vehicles were hit, Konashenkov added.
Two fighter jets, Su-24 and Su-25, along with one Mi-8 helicopter, were hit by means of air defense systems, while four Su-25 fighter jets, one Mi-24, and five Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed in a hangar on an airfield near the city of Kramatorsk, the spokesman said.
Since Monday, the Russian aviation hit a total of 136 Ukrainian military facilities, including seven control and communication centers, four anti-aircraft missile systems, three multiple rocket launchers, four radar stations, some elements of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, one electronic warfare station, four ammunition depots, and 72 places of accumulation of military equipment, Konashenkov continued.
"Since the beginning of the special military operation, 156 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,306 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 127 multiple rocket launchers, 471 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 1,054 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed," he said.
According to Konashenkov, the Russian airborne forces also captured a base of Ukrainian nationalists and mercenaries, taking as a trophy some pieces of weapons supplied by the Western countries to Ukraine, including 10 Javelin portable anti-tank missiles.
All captured weapons were handed to the rebel forces of Donetsk and Luhansk, he noted.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.
At least 636 civilians have been killed and 1,125 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while noting that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.
Over 2.9 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.
