RIA Novosti quoted the ministry's statement as saying that Russian forces had made significant progress during recent military operations, capturing eight towns in various regions. The ministry noted that these operations had inflicted heavy losses on the Ukrainian army in personnel and equipment.
The ministry added that units from the Russian "North" group carried out active offensive operations in Sumy Oblast, resulting in forces seizing control of the towns of Lukhnya, Vladimirovka, Belovody, and Konstantinovka. It confirmed that Russian airstrikes, drones, and artillery inflicted significant damage on Ukrainian forces.
In the same context, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that Russian forces carried out five collective strikes using high-precision weapons and attack drones between May 24 and 30, in response to what it described as "large-scale" Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian territory using Western-made drones and missiles.
The ministry explained that these Russian strikes targeted facilities belonging to the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, including military airfield infrastructure, weapons and ammunition depots, drone production and storage centers, and temporary deployment sites for Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Russian air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet last week, in addition to 30 JDAM guided bombs, 16 HIMARS rockets, and 1,439 Ukrainian drones.
Ukrainian forces' losses during the same period were estimated at more than 1,490 soldiers, with four tanks, 22 armored combat vehicles, 46 other vehicles, and 37 field guns destroyed, in addition to six electronic warfare centers and nine ammunition depots.
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has launched a military attack on its neighbor, Ukraine, and has made ending the offensive conditional on Kyiv abandoning its membership in Western military entities. Kyiv considers this "interference" in its affairs.
