Russia reports destruction of 44 Ukrainian military targets

MOSCOW- Russia reported on Monday on the 26th day of its “special military operation” in Ukraine, that last night its air forces destroyed 44 Ukrainian military targets, TASS News Agency reported.

“During the night, military and tactical-operational aviation destroyed 44 military installations in Ukraine,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov in a video posted on Telegram.

He specified that among the objectives achieved were four command posts, two missile launchers, six Buk anti-aircraft missile systems and other heavy weapons. According to Konashenko, a group of Ka-52 and Ni-28N helicopters destroyed fifteen Ukrainian armored vehicles, including eight tanks.

The military spokesman added that a “training centre for Ukrainian mercenaries and nationalist units” at the Novaya Liubomirka polygon in northwestern Ukraine was attacked with high-precision cruise missiles. “More than 80 mercenaries and nationalists were annihilated,” he said.

He added that the Russian military captured an underground command post of the Ukrainian Army in Mykolaivka, one of the suburbs of Kiev.

“61 servicemen serving in the command post surrendered voluntarily, more than half of them high-ranking officers,” said Konashenkov. He stressed that the Russian Armed Forces have not planned and do not attack Ukrainian facilities where toxic substances are stored.

“Any possible incident in Ukrainian facilities where toxic substances are stored is the direct responsibility of the nationalist regime in Kiev,” the spokesman stressed. Ukrainian authorities today reported that an ammonia leak occurred in a chemical plant in the Sumy region as a result of a Russian attack, which was remedied hours later.

“A total of 216 drones, 180 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1,506 tanks and other armored vehicles, 152 missile launchers, 592 artillery pieces and mortars, as well as 1,284 military vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation,” Konashenkov said, summarizing the progress of the campaign.