Russian Armed Forces Destroy 3,920 Targets of Ukrainian Military Infrastructure, MoD Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have disabled 3,920 facilities of the Ukrainian military infrastructure as part of the special military operation in the country, Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.

"In total, 3,920 facilities of Ukrainian military infrastructure were disabled since the start of the special military operation," Konashenkov told reporters.

A total of 143 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,267 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 124 multiple rocket launchers, 457 field artillery guns and mortars, 1,028 units of special military vehicles were destroyed, he noted.

Over the past night, the Russian military have also downed four Ukrainian drones, including one Bayraktar TB2 combat drone, the official added.

In the early hours of 24 February, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kiev forces. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and "de-Nazify" Ukraine and that only military infrastructure is being targeted. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbass, "who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years."

The West scaled up military assistance to Kiev, as well as anti-Russia sanctions, after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine.