MOSCOW. Feb 17 (Interfax) - Russian air defense systems have downed a Mil Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force near Nikolskoye in the Kherson region, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"Russian air defense systems downed a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the area of Nikolskoye of the Kherson region," Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Friday.
Nine unmanned aerial vehicles were downed near Golikovo, Preobrazhenskoye, Kuzemovka, and Ploshchanka of the Lugansk People's Republic and near Orlinskoye, Volodino, and Aleksandrovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, and three rounds of HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and one HARM anti-radiation missile were intercepted in the past 24 hours, he said.
"Army aircraft, missile, and artillery troops of the Russian Armed Forces struck 97 artillery crews on their firing positions, as well as personnel and military hardware in 106 areas," he said.
A total of 385 planes, 210 helicopters, 3,161 unmanned aerial vehicles, 404 air defense missile systems, 7,901 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 1,027 vehicles of multiple rocket launchers, 4,121 field artillery guns and mortars, and 8,429 special military automobiles of the adversary have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation, he said.