During a special operation to defend Donbass, the Russian armed forces launched a strike with air-launched high-precision missiles at the artillery training center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sumy region, said the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov.

“In this center, the arrived foreign instructors carried out practical training for Ukrainian military personnel in the operation and fire control of 155-mm M777 howitzers,” Konashenkov said.

Also, Russian military personnel destroyed the deployment of foreign mercenaries in the Odessa region with a missile strike and hit 27 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, two Ukrainian command posts, six depots of rocket and artillery weapons, ammunition and fuel were destroyed.

“Operational-tactical, army and unmanned aircraft hit 54 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Konashenkov added.

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In total, according to the agency, more than 400 nationalists, 20 tanks and armored vehicles, four BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, nine artillery pieces and 29 vehicles for various purposes were destroyed as a result of air strikes.

Russian air defense, in turn, shot down a military transport aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, which was delivering weapons and ammunition.

During the day, 17 Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed.

In addition, the defense department published footage of the work of the engineering units of the Western Military District to clear settlements in the Kharkiv region.

The ministry clarified that the sappers are leaving specifically at the request of civilians to clear household plots and farmland.

“Upon arrival, engineering reconnaissance of the area is carried out, the situation is assessed, after which the demining group proceeds to clear the area from explosive objects,” the Defense Ministry said. 

The Defense Ministry also spoke about the work of the combat crews of the Palantin electronic warfare complex, which, during a special operation, perform tasks of electronic suppression of enemy command and control systems.

“The Palantin complex blocks the control signal of reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, suppresses cellular communication centers and Internet sources at enemy command posts,” the message says.

At the same time, the Ministry of Defense reported that the crews of Ka-52 attack helicopters destroyed the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the agency, airstrikes were carried out by guided and unguided missiles.

Helicopter crews with guided missiles destroyed a tank, an armored personnel carrier and weapons at the positions of Ukrainian troops.

The situation in the Kherson region

About 1,500 people turned to the open point in Kherson for receiving documents with applications for obtaining Russian citizenship, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the military-civilian administration of the region, told TASS.

He noted that so far there is one point for receiving applications, and there are a lot of people who want to obtain Russian citizenship.

According to Stremousov, the authorities are trying to open as many points of acceptance of documents as possible, and soon the first such points should appear in Nova Kakhovka.

He also stressed that the Kherson region will continue to integrate into Russia, despite the position of the European Union, adding that he himself, together with the head of the region Vladimir Saldo, will soon receive Russian citizenship.

“The residents of the Kherson region are grateful to the President of Russia, who made it possible for us all to feel like an integral part of one big whole,” RIA Novosti quoted Stremousov as saying.

At the same time, the deputy head of the administration noted that Ukraine blocked the bank accounts of residents in the Kherson region, in fact, doing everything to "rob people."

He specified that banks integrated into the Russian financial system will start operating in the region in the near future.

Shelling of the DPR and LPR by the Armed Forces of Ukraine

RT Arabic correspondent Khaled al-Jabburi reported that the artillery troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, retreating, bombed residential areas and peaceful infrastructure facilities of the LPR.

Evidence of war crimes of the Kyiv regime is recorded by a special commission.

According to the People's Militia of the DPR, over the current day, Ukrainian troops fired more than 460 shells and mines at 13 settlements of the republic, as a result of which a civilian was killed and 14 more people were injured.

During the 108 days of the escalation, 141 civilians were killed, including seven children.

Wounds of varying severity were received by 676 civilians, including 53 children, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire Regime added.