MOSCOW. Dec 21 (Interfax) - Russian air defense systems have destroyed over 6,000 aerial targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including over 4,600 drones, in the special military operation zone in 2023, Russian Armed Forces General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov said.
"Air defense forces are acting efficiently in the special military operation zone. This year, they have destroyed over 6,300 enemy aerial targets, including over 4,600 unmanned aerial vehicles, over 100 Storm Shadow guided air-launched missiles, up to 90 HARM anti-radiation missiles, 30 missiles of the Tochka-U tactical systems, and over 1,400 multiple rocket launcher rounds," Gerasimov said at a press briefing for foreign defense attaches.
Russian planes and helicopters have carried out thousands of combat missions since the start of the special military operation, he said.
"Fire damage has been caused to headquarters, command posts, storages of military hardware and ammunition, and stationing sites of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel on a daily basis," he said.
Russian tactical and army aircraft have been employed round the clock and in various weather conditions to search for and destroy Ukrainian army assets and conduct reconnaissance missions, he said.
The use of drones of various classes has also become an integral element of combat actions, he said.
"Drones have been used round the clock to conduct in-depth aerial reconnaissance of enemy forces, locate targets after their identification, and record their destruction," Gerasimov said.
"They [drones] have been used to strike military infrastructure elements and the entire spectrum of weapons and military hardware. Methods and ways of their employment have been updated on an ongoing basis," he said.