MOSCOW

The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that since the beginning of its “military operation” against Ukraine, it has destroyed 359 air defense missile systems belonging to its neighbor. 

Spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed that the Ukrainian army has suffered “significant” losses and an additional 70 soldiers killed and more than five armored vehicles were destroyed near Artyomovsk in the Kherson region with more than 130 soldiers neutralized.

Konashenkov said nine headquarters, six ammunition depots and the S-300 air defense system were destroyed in the last 24 hours.

Noting that three unmanned aerial vehicles belonging to the Ukrainian army were shot down, Konashenkov said Russia destroyed 260 aircraft, 145 helicopters, 1625 unmanned aerial vehicles, 359 air defense missile systems, 4,172 tanks and armored vehicles, 764 multi-barrel rocket launchers, 3,207 howitzers and mortars and 4,515 private military vehicles belonging to Ukraine.