TEHRAN, March 28 (MNA) – Russian air defense forces intercepted a GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) smart munition for the first time during the special military operation in Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman said on Tuesday."In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities intercepted 18 rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and one GLSDB guided munition," TASS quoted Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov as saying.

In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Pologi in the Zaporozhye Region, Golikovo, Rubezhnoye and Svatovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Soledar, Volnovakha and Vladimirovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Velikiye Vyselki in the Kharkov Region, the general added.

In the past 24 hours, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 96 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 114 areas, the general specified.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 404 Ukrainian warplanes, 226 helicopters, 3,612 unmanned aerial vehicles, 414 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,433 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,074 multiple launch rocket systems, 4,449 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,161 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

MP/PR