MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS-DEFENSE/. The Ukrainian army has made several attempts to counterattack near Nikolayev and Krivoi Rog, but sustained heavy losses and had to retreat, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Friday.
"Ukraine's forces near Nikolayev and Krivoi Rog have made several unsuccessful attempts to counterattack, but had to retreat after sustaining losses. The 46th Air Assault Brigade, 35th Marines Brigade and 61st Jager Infantry Brigade sustained losses in manpower and materiel in the areas of Bezymennoye and Novogrigoryevka in Nikolayev region and near Sukhoi Stavok in Kherson region.
Konashenkov also said that in just one day the enemy lost three tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles and seven other armored vehicles, two pickup trucks with heavy machineguns and more than 270 military personnel in the Nikolayev and Krivoi Rog area.
Russian air defenses shot down six Ukrainian drones and intercepted 18 HIMARS and Olkha MLRS rounds over the past day.
"Air defenses shot down six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the area of Izyum in Kharkov region, Staromlinovka, Kirillovka, Slavnoye and Makeyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as Sladkaya Balka in Zaporozhye region over the past day. In addition, 18 HIMARS and Olkha MLRS rounds were destroyed in midair in the area of Novaya Kakhovka and Golaya Pristan in Kherson region, and Kakhovskaya HPP," he said.
Russia's armed forces attacked eight Ukrainian command posts in the DPR, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions.
"In 24 hours, eight command posts of Ukraine's armed forces have been hit in the vicinity of Lebyazhye, Chervony Yar, Gusarovka and Liman populated localities in Kharkov region, Maryinka and Ray-Aleksandrovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Krivoi Rog in Dnepropetrovsk region, Gulyay Pole in Zaporozhye region as well as 52 artillery units, manpower and military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces in 153 districts," he said.
Russian tactical and army aviation, missile and artillery troops have wiped out a HIMARS multiple rocket launcher in Kharkov region, as well as three enemy ammo depots in that region and Dnepropetrovsk region.
"Three depots with missile and artillery weapons and ammunition belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces have been wiped out near Chuguev, Kharkov region, and Radushnoye, Dnepropetrovsk region. A US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher was destroyed near Chervonny Donets in Kharkov region," he said.
The Russian forces killed more than 50 and wounded more than 120 fighters of the 127th territorial defense brigade and 14th mechanized brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine with strikes by precision weapons near Kharkov.
"More than 50 Ukrainian servicemen were killed and more than 120 were wounded with strikes of ground-based precision weapons on temporary bases of the 127th territorial defense brigade and 14th mechanized brigade near the city of Kharkov," the spokesman said.
The Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed Kraken neo-Nazi battalion in Kharkov region and the 93rd mechanized brigade in the Donetsk People's Republic killing over 50 men and destroying 16 hardware units.
Ukrainian troops shelled the city of Energodar six times leaving it without electricity.
"The Kiev regime continues provocations to create a threat of a manmade catastrophe at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Six shelling attacks were registered in the city of Energodar during the day. Twenty-seven shells were fired from the settlement of Marganets located on the opposite bank of the Kakhovka dam lake. As a result of shelling of electricity transmission lines, the city was left without electricity."
According to the spokesman, Russian artillery units retaliated the fire. "The nuclear plant's personnel ensure control of its technical condition," he said.
Overall, the Russian armed forces have destroyed 293 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 152 helicopters, 1,916 unmanned aerial vehicles, 374 surface-to-air missile systems, 4,870 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 827 multiple rocket launchers, 3,371 field artillery guns and mortars and 5,417 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine.