[EngMilRu] Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (24–29 September 2023)
In the period from 24 to 29 September 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out nine group strikes by long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The strikes hit ammunition depots, military-technical hardware of the AFU, saboteurs' training sites, and accommodation points for Ukrainian servicemen and foreign mercenaries.
As a result of the strikes, the control centre of the International Legion formation, two large arsenals with weapons and ammunition were destroyed, and the supply of foreign-made weapons and logistical support for Ukrainian troops operating in Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions were disrupted.
In Donetsk direction, during the week the enemy continued to attempt offensive actions close to Artemovsk, Avdeevka, and Marinka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Over the past week, units of the Yug Group of Forces have repelled 31 attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this area.
As a result of the fighting, the enemy lost more than 1,760 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, 40 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, as well as 70 motor vehicles.
In counter-battery warfare, 13 field artillery pieces and two 122mm BM021 Grad multiple rocket launchers were neutralised.
In addition, ground-attack aircraft destroyed two ammunition depots near Zvanovka and Zarya (Donetsk People's Republic).
In order to make up for the significant losses of manpower during the failed assaults on Kleshcheyevka and Andreevka (Donetsk People's Republic), the AFU command was forced to redeploy units of the 33rd, 67th and 110th Mechanised Brigades from other directions.
In Zaporozhye direction, the Russian troops continue to conduct active defence, during which they repelled eight attacks launched by assault groups of the 65th Mechanised and 71st Jaeger Brigades of the AFU close to Vebovoye and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region) during the past week.
In the areas of Malaya Tokmachka, Orekhov, and Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region), the 21st, 23rd, and 118th Mechanised Brigades of the AFU defeated clusters of enemy manpower and hardware.
During the fighting, the enemy's losses amounted to more than 330 Ukrainian troops, 32 armoured fighting vehicles, 38 motor vehicles, and 25 field artillery pieces.
The AFU Command is currently withdrawing the 47th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU from the area of Rabotino (Zaporozhye region) to the rear area due to the fact that servicemen are refusing to carry out combat tasks because of the losses they have suffered.
In South Donetsk direction, Russian units repelled four attacks launched by units of the 127th Territorial Defence Brigade in the vicinity of Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region), during the aforementioned period.
In addition, air strikes and artillery fire struck clusters of AFU manpower and hardware.
During the week, the enemy's losses totalled over 750 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, 22 armoured fighting vehicles, 37 motor vehicles, and 15 field artillery pieces.
Also, two AFU sabotage and reconnaissance groups were neutralised near Marfopol (Zaporozhye region).
In Kupyansk direction, the Zapad Group of Forces used air strikes and artillery fire to hit the manpower and hardware of the 25th Airborne, 14th, 43rd, and 92nd Mechanised Brigades of the AFU near Sin'kovka, Peschanoye, Cherneshchina, and Novolyubovka (Khar'kov region).
In this direction, the enemy has lost over 210 Ukrainian troops, five armoured fighting vehicles, 30 motor vehicles, as well as 13 field artillery pieces.
In addition, four ammunition depots of the AFU were destroyed near Berestovoye, Kislovka, and Ogurtsovo (Kharkov region).
In Krasny Liman direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces using the 12th Special Forces Brigade, the 63rd and 67th Mechanized Brigades made unsuccessful attempts to regain lost positions near Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Serebryansky forestry.
As a result of competent action by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, air strikes, artillery fire, and heavy flamethrowers, 12 enemy attacks were repelled.
Ukrainian Armed Forces losses for the week amounted to more than 360 Ukrainian troops, 20 armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, as well as 12 guns.
In Kherson direction, the main efforts were focused on preventing the enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups from landing on the islands and the left bank of the Dnepr. As part of this task, three AFU sabotage and reconnaissance groups were disabled.
Up to 250 Ukrainian servicemen, 16 armoured fighting vehicles and 42 motor vehicles were destroyed during the week.
Seven field artillery pieces were hit during the counter-battery warfare.
The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed five warplanes of the Ukrainian Air Force in a week.
One Ukrainian Su-25 ground-attack aircraft was shot down near Toretskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
Two Mig-29 fighter jets of the Ukrainian Air Force have been destroyed at the Dolgintsevo airfield, Dnepropetrovsk region.
In addition, on the night of 29 September, two more Mig-29 fighter jets delivered from Poland and upgraded to use Western missile weapons were eliminated at the Kulbakino airfield, Nikolayev region.
One Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force was also shot down by means of air defence near Kleshcheevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, air defence systems shot down 33 HIMARS and Olkha MLRS projectiles, one JDAM guided aerial bomb, and four U.S.-made HARM anti-radiation missiles during the week.
In addition, 185 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down and overwhelmed by electronic warfare systems.
In total, 482 airplanes and 250 helicopters, 7,252 unmanned aerial vehicles, 438 air defence missile systems, 12,210 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,157 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,584 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,590 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.