Russia Downs Ukrainian Drones, Intercepts Rockets Amid Intense Battles
Russia reported on Saturday that its forces had shot down 54 Ukrainian drones and intercepted multiple HIMARS rockets over the past 24 hours. This announcement comes amidst ongoing intense battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that its troops had successfully repelled Ukrainian attacks in multiple sectors and had launched counter-attacks. These actions reportedly resulted in the destruction of various Ukrainian military equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery units.
Additionally, Russian air defense forces claimed to have downed 54 drones and intercepted numerous aerial guided bombs and HIMARS rockets from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine disclosed that 74 battles had been fought on the frontline within the past 24 hours. The most intensive fighting occurred in the Pokrovsk region, where Ukrainian forces repelled 29 Russian attacks.
Journalist Casualties in Eastern Ukraine
In related news, Russian journalist Nikita Tsitsagi was killed by a Ukrainian drone attack in the Vuhledar area, according to his news organization News.Ru. The incident took place near the Saint-Nicolas monastery in Vuhledar, an area that has seen heavy fighting for the past three months.
This follows the death of another journalist from Russian state television, who was killed, and another wounded, in a Ukrainian drone strike in the village of Golmivsky, Donetsk region, on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that at least 30 Russian journalists have been killed since the beginning of the conflict. There has been no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities regarding these incidents.