Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (16 July 2023)
The AFU continued unsuccessful attempts at offensive actions in Donetsk and Krasny Liman directions.
In Donetsk direction, as a result of well-coordinated and professional actions by units of the Yug Group of Forces, aviation and artillery, 15 enemy attacks have been successfully repelled close to Belogorovka (Lugansk People’s Republic), Severnoye, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Krasnogorovka, Veseloye, Novomikhailovka, Pervomayskoye and Maryinka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Two ammunition depots of the 54th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU and the 4th Operational Purpose Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard have been destroyed near Razdolovka and Ivano-Daryevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 270 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, two armoured fighting vehicles and five motor vehicles.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems have repelled three enemy attacks close to Novovodyanoye, Makeevka (Lugansk People’s Republic), and Serebryansky forestry.
The AFU units have been hit close to Chervonaya Dibrova, Golikovo and Kuzmino (Lugansk People’s Republic).
One ammunition depot of the AFU 66th Mechanised Brigade has been destroyed near Novolyubovka (Lugansk People’s Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 100 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, as well as Msta-B and D-30 howitzers.
In South Donetsk direction, the active actions by Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces have resulted in the neutralisation of the AFU manpower and hardware near Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region) and Rovnopol (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The activities of one Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group have been suppressed close to Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In Zaporozhye direction, as a result of coordinated actions by Russian troops, an enemy manpower and hardware concentration area have been hit close to Marfopol, Malye Shcherbaki and Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye region).
In addition, two ammunition depots of the 33rd and 65th mechanised brigades of the AFU have been destroyed near Malaya Tokmachka and Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy losses were up to 260 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, as well as D-20 and Msta-B howitzers.
In Kupyansk direction, as a result of active actions by units, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems of the Zapad Group of Forces, AFU units have been hit close to Masyutovka, Timkovka, Tabayevka, Olshana and Kislovka (Kharkov region).
The activities of four Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been suppressed close to Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People’s Republic), Berestovoye (Kharkov region).
The enemy losses were over 50 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer.
In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, four motor vehicles, three U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery systems and one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system.
One ammunition depot of the AFU 126th Territorial Defence Brigade has been destroyed near Molodyozhnoye (Kherson region).
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 89 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 124 areas.
The command post of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU has been neutralised near Dyleevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Air defence facilities have intercepted three HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles and two missiles of the S-200 surface-to-air missile system modified to hit ground targets.
In addition, 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed close to Pilipovka (Lugansk People’s Republic), Tripolye (Donetsk People’s Republic), Pologi, Chapaevka, Azov, Tokmak and Lyubimovka (Zaporozhye region), and Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region).
In total, 455 airplanes, 242 helicopters, 5,028 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 air defence missile systems, 10,721 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,138 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,471 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 11,698 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.