MOSCOW. July 25 (Interfax) - Russian troops have downed a Ukrainian Mil Mi-24 helicopter, intercepted ten rockets fired by a U.S.-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher and destroyed 22 drones in the past 24 hours, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"Air defense systems downed a Mi-24 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force near Novodarovka in the Zaporozhye region," Konashenkov said at a briefing on Tuesday.
In addition, ten HIMARS rockets were intercepted over the past 24 hours, he said.
"In addition, 22 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were downed near Lisichansk and Popasnaya in the Lugansk People's Republic, Petrovskoye and Lozovoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, [and] Energodar, Zelyony Gai, Balochki and Sladkaya Balka in the Zaporozhye region," Konashenkov said.
A total of 457 planes, 244 helicopters, 5,258 unmanned aerial vehicles, and 426 air defense missile systems have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov said.