24.02.2022, Moscow.
The tasks of the special operation to demilitarize Ukraine for the first day have been fulfilled in full, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said at a final briefing on February 24.
According to the military representative, on the first day of the operation, the Russian Armed Forces struck and disabled 83 facilities of the Ukrainian army ground infrastructure, including 11 military airfields, the naval base of the Navy in Ochakov, the Joint Forces Operation and National Guard headquarters, 18 S-300 and Buk-M1 radar stations, as well as a number of other facilities.
The Ukrainian army has been completely deprived of air defense, with only portable surface-to-air missile systems in service. In addition, two Ukrainian Su-27 and two Su-24, a helicopter, as well as four strike drones Bayraktar TB2 were shot down.
“All the tasks assigned to the groups of troops of the Russian Armed Forces for the day were successfully fulfilled,” the major general stressed.
The arrival of the Russian military to the city of Kherson made it possible to unblock the North Crimean Canal. It allowed to unblock the North Crimean canal and restore water supply to the Crimean peninsula
Regarding the actions of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Konashenkov noted that their units, supported by Russian artillery and tactical aviation, managed to break the Ukrainian army defenses and advance 6-8 km in depth.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a special military operation aimed at protecting the residents of Donbass, as well as the demilitarization and denationalization of Ukraine. At the same time, the Russian leader stressed that there was no question of military occupation of Ukraine. The Russian military department also reported that Russian troops do not strike peaceful cities.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
