Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (16 June 2023)
During the past 24 hours, AFU units continued to suffer significant losses as they unsuccessfully attempted to conduct an offensive in South Donetsk and Donetsk directions.
In Vremevka salient, the most active combat operations took place in the areas of Rovnopol and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People’s Republic), where five attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled as a result of courageous actions by the Russian Vostok Group of Forces, air strikes and artillery fire.
More than 200 Ukrainian servicemen, five tanks, seven infantry fighting vehicles, five armoured vehicles, four motor vehicles, and two mortar batteries have been neutralised in the past 24 hours.
In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces has successfully repelled five enemy attacks close to Pervomaiskoye, Petrovskoye, and Staromikhailovka (Donetsk People’s Republic) during the past 24 hours.
Up to 215 Ukrainian personnel, three armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and two D-20 howitzers.
Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 109th Territorial Defence Brigade was neutralised close to Novogorodskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In Kupyansk direction, the ground-attack aircraft, artillery and units of the Zapad Group of Forces have foiled actions of two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups close to Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People’s Republic).
Up to 45 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and a U.S.-made M777 artillery system were destroyed during the day.
In Krasny Liman direction, aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces engaged the units of the enemy close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People’s Republic), and the Serebryansky forestry.
During the day, up to 65 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured personnel carriers, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-30 howitzer have been neutralised.
In Kherson direction, up to 30 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, one Msta-B howitzer, and one U.S.-made M777 artillery system have been neutralised over the past 24 hours.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 96 AFU artillery units at their fire positions, manpower, and military hardware in 104 areas during the day.
Russian air defence forces have intercepted four HIMARS shells during the day.
In addition, 22 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were obliterated in the areas of Sladkaya Balka, Tokmak (Zaporozhye region), Volnovakha, Artyomovsk, Verkhnetortskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic), Svatovo (Lugansk People’s Republic), and Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region).
In total, 444 airplanes and 238 helicopters, 4,652 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 air defence missile systems, 10,018 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,124 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,128 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,983 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
WtR