Map of the special operation in Ukraine on July 16

A special military operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass has been conducted by Russia since February 24, 2022. You can track the progress of the joint forces of Russia, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), as well as view the map of military operations on July 16 in the Izvestia material.

Units of the Vostok group of forces liberated the settlement of Novokhatskoye in the DPR. As a result of the actions of the servicemen, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) lost up to 200 militants, an armored combat vehicle, nine vehicles, a field artillery piece and an electronic warfare station.

"The units of the Center group of forces continued their offensive into the depths of the enemy's defenses. They defeated formations of four mechanized, amphibious assault, and jaeger brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two marine brigades, and two air defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Novoeconomicheskoe, Yablonovka, Muravka, Petrovsky, Stepanovka, Nikanorovka, and Novopavlovka of the Donetsk People's Republic," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The Russian army, with the help of aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles and artillery, defeated enterprises of the military-industrial and fuel-energy complex of Ukraine used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and points of temporary deployment of Ukrainian formations in 148 regions.

The Russian armed forces also destroyed two launchers, a guidance point and a combat control cabin of the S-300PS anti-aircraft missile system and an Israeli-made RADA radar station. Air defense systems, in turn, shot down four guided aerial bombs and 178 aircraft-type UAVs.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, since the beginning of the special operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost 664 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 69,771 drones, 619 anti-aircraft missile systems, 24,226 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,577 multiple rocket launchers, 27,406 field artillery and mortars, and 38,241 special vehicles.

Watch more relevant videos and details about the situation in Donbass on the Izvestia TV channel