Russian Defence Ministry reports massive attack on Ukrainian factories

Russian troops conducted a missile strike with the use of sea- and air-based precision weapons targeting factories that provided the Ukrainian army with shells and fuel. The targets have been destroyed in the attack, the Russian Defence ministry said during a briefing. The attack was carried out on Thursday, February 16th.

“As a result of the strike, the supplies of fuel to the groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was disrupted, and the possibilities for the production of explosives, gunpowder and solid rocket fuel in Ukraine were significantly reduced,” the department said.

In addition, Russian air defence systems shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter in the Kherson region near the village of Nikolskoye, destroyed nine drones in the Donbass republics, intercepted a HARM anti-radar missile and three HIMARS shells.

• In the Kupyansk direction, the Russian troops attacked the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Gryaninovka, Berestovoye and Lyman Pervy in the Kharkiv region, killing up to 80 Ukrainian servicemen, and destroying two armoured vehicles.
• Up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the Donetsk direction; two armoured vehicles, two D-30 howitzers and one D-20 were destroyed.
• In the Krasny Lyman direction, about 90 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, Grad MLRS, two Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers and an infantry fighting vehicle were destroyed. 
• In Southern Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions, attacks were carried out on positions near Vuhledar in the DPR and Olgovskoye, Magdalinovka in the Zaporizhzhia region. More than 70 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed; an M777 artillery system, an Uragan MLRS and two D-20 howitzers were destroyed.

For almost a year since the start of the Russian military operation, the Ministry of Defence has reported the destruction of 385 aircraft, 210 helicopters, 7,900 tanks and other armoured vehicles, more than 1,000 MLRS, 4,100 field artillery pieces and other equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.