Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(20 September 2023)

▫️ The Armed Forces of the RU FED continue the SMO.

▫️ In Donetsk direct, the Yug Group of Forces, supported by aviati & artill, repelled 5 attacks by assault groups of the 3rd Assault Brig, the 53rd & 110th mech brigs of the UKR AF close to Kleshcheyevka, Veseloye & Khimik (Donetsk People's Republic).

▫️ The enemy's losses were up to 175 UKR troops, 1 tank, 1 armored fight vehicle, & 3 pick-up trucks.

▫️ In counter-battery warfare, the RU troops hit 1 U.S.-made M777 artillery syst, 1 Polish-made Krab self-propelled artill syst & 1 D-30 howitzer.

▫️ In Zaporozhye direction, units of the RU GoF supported by helicopters, artill & heavy flamethrower syst repelled 3 attacks by the AFU 71st Jaeger Brig close to Verbovoye (Zaporozhye reg).

▫️ Also, a cluster of manpower & hardware of the 116th Mech Brig of the AFU near the locality of Charivnoye (Zaporozhye reg) was hit by fire.

▫️ Up to 35 UKR troops, 2 armoured fight vehics & 2 motor vehics were eliminated.

▫️ In counter-battery warfare, the RU troops hit 1 U.S.-made M109 Paladin SP howitzer, 1 Akatsiya SP artillery syst, 2 D-30 &1 D-20 howitzers.

▫️ In Krasny Liman direct, well-coordinated actions of the Tsentr GoF, strikes by Army Aviation & artill fire repelled 2 attacks by assault groups of 63rd & 67th mech brigs of the UKR AF near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk PR).

▫️ Close to Torskoye (DPR) & the Serebryansky forestry, the RU troops inflicted fire damage on clusters of manpower & hardware of the 63rd Mech Brig, the 12th Special Forces Brig & the 5th Brig of the UKR Nat'l Guard.

▫️ Up to 70 UKR men were killed & wounded, 2 armoured fighting vehic, 2 pick-up trucks, & D-30 howitzers were neutralised.

▫️ In S Donetsk direct, the Vostok GoF, in cooperation with aviat & artill repelled 1 attack of an assault detachment of the AFU 110th Territorial DEF Brig in the direction of Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye reg).

▫️ Air strikes & artill fire defeated manpower & hardware of the 79th Air Assault & 72nd Mech Brigs of the UKR AF close to Novomikhailovka & Vladimirovka (DPR).

▫️ The activities of a sabotage and recon group of the UKR AF' 38th Marines Brig were suppressed near the village of Novodonetskoye (DPR).

▫️ The enemy's losses for the day totaled up to 135 UKR servicemen killed & wounded, 2 pick-up trucks & 1 Msta-B howitzer.

▫️ In Kupyansk direct, aviat & artill of the Zapad GoF inflicted fire damage on manpower & hardware of the 14th, 32nd mech & 25th Air Assault Brigs of the AF of UKR close to Zagoruikovka, Ivanovka (Kharkov region), Rozovka and Berestovoye (LPR).

▫️ Over 65 UKR troops, 2 motor vehic & 1 U.S.-made M1097 Avenger anti-aircraft missile syst were neutralised.

▫️ In counter-battery warfare, the RU troops hit 1 M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, 2 U.S.-made M777 artill syst & 1 D-20 howitzer.

▫️ An ammo depot of the AFU 120th Territorial DEF Brig has been obliterated close to Gatishche (Kharkov reg).

▫️ In Kherson direct, 4 sabotage & recon groups of the AFU special operations forces close to Kazatskoye (Kherson reg) & the islands of Alyoshkinsky & Pereyaslavskyi were eliminated.

▫️ The enemy's losses were over 60 UKR men, 1 armoured fighting vehic & 4 motor vehics.

▫️ Also, 2 U.S.-made M777 artill systs & 1D-30 howitzer were hit during counter-battery warfare.

▫️ OP-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops & Artill of the RU GoF have engaged AFU manpower & hardware in 126 areas during the day.

▫️ In addition, command & observation post of a battalion of the 72nd Mech Brig(AFU) near Ugledar (DPR) & the temp deployment area of the 35th Marines Brig (AFU) near Petropavlovka (DPR) were hit.

▫️ Fighter jets of the RU Aerospace Forces intercepted 1 Su-24m bomber of the UKR Air Force close to Novovladimirovka (Nikolayev reg).

▫️ A UKR MiG-29 fighter jet has been hit by a drone strike at the Dolgintsevo airfield (Dnepropetrovsk reg).

◽️ AD & electronic warfare systs & small arms fire intercepted 4 Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles & 5 HIMARS & Smerch MLRS projectiles.

▫️ Moreover, 42 UKR UAV were downed close to Nagornoye, Gorlovka, Mikhailovka (DPR), Belogorovka, Karamzinovka, Volcheyarovka (LPR), Novogorovka, Novoye & Mirnoye (Zaporozhye reg), Podstepnoye & Kozachyi Lageru (Kherson reg).

📊 In total, 475 airplanes & 249 helicopters, 6,945 UAV, 438 AD missile systs, 12,009 tanks & other armoured fighting vehics, 1,152 combat vehics equipped w/ MLRS, 6,462 field artill cannons & mortars, as well as 13,262 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the SMO.