🇷🇺🇺🇦 July 12, 2022, The Special Military Operation in Ukraine Briefing by Russian Defense Ministry

⚡️Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine

▫️The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine.

💥 High-precision Iskander land-based missiles near Berezan in Odessa Region have destroyed launchers of the US-made Harpoon anti-ship missile system.

💥 High-precision air-based missile strike near Artemovsk in Donetsk People's Republic has destroyed 180 servicemen and 26 pieces of military equipment of 30th mechanized brigade of AFU.

▫️In addition, high-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed 12 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentrations, 4 amunition depots of the 79th Airborne Assault Brigade near Matveevka, NIkolaev Region, and AFU armoured vehicle repair and recovery facility near Seversk.

💥 As part of counter-battery fighting, 2 platoons of Grad multiple-launch rocket systems and 2 artillery platoons of Hyacinth-B howitzers have been destroyed at firing positions near Dzerzhinsk, Donetsk People's Republic.

💥 Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised 3 AFU command posts, 3 ammunition depots, 97 areas of Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, as well as 111 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration.

💥 Russian air defence means have shot down 7 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Izyum, Malye Prokhody, Pitomnik in Kharkov Region, Slavyansk, Shandrygolovo in Donetsk People's Republic, including 1 strike drone near Nikolaev.

▫️In addition, 12 rockets of Uragan multiple-launch rocket system have been intercepted near Lisichansk in Lugansk People's Republic, Brazhkovka in Kharkov Region and Novaya Kakhovka in Kherson Region.

📊 In total, 243 Ukrainian airplanes and 137 helicopters, 1,513 unmanned aerial vehicles, 354 anti-aircraft missile systems, 4,046 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 741 multiple launch rocket systems, 3,135 field artillery and mortars, as well as 4,165 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.

⚠️ Russian Defence Ministry monitors and records by name all foreign mercenaries who have arrived in Ukraine to take part in combat operations.

▫️ As we have already mentioned, contrary to the false claims of the Kiev regime about allegedly 20,000 of foreign mercenaries arriving to Ukraine, their actual number is much lower. Moreover, it is steadily declining.

▫️Over the past three weeks, the number of mercenaries in Ukraine has decreased from 3,221 to 2,741 as a result of the offensive actions of the units of the Russian Armed Forces and people's militia of Lugansk and Donetsk republics.

▫️During this time, despite the arrival of another 151 mercenaries, 391 militants have been killed. Another 240 "wild geese" rushed to flee outside Ukraine.

▫️Poland again tops the list in terms of the speed and number of fighters killed during the period, with 166 Polish fighters killed. Among the Georgian representatives, 50 "soldiers of fortune" were killed, UK lost another 23 mercenaries in Ukraine. Also, 21 Romanian and 15 Canadian fighters were killed in three weeks.

📊 Updated data on the count of foreign mercenaries currently in Ukraine has been published on the Russian Defence Ministry's information resources on the Internet.

▫️Once again, the Russian Armed Forces are identifying foreign mercenaries even as they prepare to enter Ukraine.

🔻I will give one example.

▫️On July 6, two British citizens, Colin Scott and Adrian Davis, and three US citizens, Michael Vujkovic, Andrew Fox and Oliver Short, arrived at the foreign mercenary collection and accommodation centre located at 1 Kozmian street in Poland's Zamość city. We advise these citizens to come to their senses and return home alive.

❗️Let me remind you that under International Humanitarian Law, all foreign mercenaries are non-combatants and the best that awaits them if captured alive is a trial and maximum terms of imprisonment.