The Russians have also lost 7,205 tanks, 13,852 armored fighting vehicles and 11,658 artillery systems during their military campaign in Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Friday, as cited by state news agency Ukrinform.
On Thursday alone, Ukrainian forces killed 870 Russian soldiers, according to the ukrinform.net website.
Other Russian losses in Ukraine include 1,046 multiple launch rocket systems, 762 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 347 warplanes, 325 helicopters, 26 warships, and 9,311 unmanned aerial vehicles, ukrinform.net reported.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Friday that Kyiv shot down a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber capable of carrying long-range missiles used to attack Ukrainian cities, according to reports.
"For the first time, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, in cooperation with the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber, a carrier of Kh-22 cruise missiles used by Russian terrorists to attack peaceful Ukrainian cities," Oleshchuk said, as quoted by the Reuters news agency.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
Friday is day 786 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(gs)