Defense Minister Shoigu Claims Russia Successfully Intercepted 226 HIMARS Rockets and Killed 3.000 Foreign Mercenaries in War in Ukraine

JAKARTA - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said his military had successfully intercepted and shot down hundreds of weapons, vehicles and Ukrainian command posts.

In a ministerial conference call on Friday, the arsenal of the Ukrainian camp that was successfully neutralized included rockets, drones, planes, helicopters and heavy weaponry and artillery.

"Over the past month, 174 brigade and battalion-level command posts were attacked, and 601 heavy weaponry and artillery systems, mostly Western-made, were destroyed," Shoigu said.

"A total of 19 aircraft, 6 helicopters and 188 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down and 226 HIMARS rockets were intercepted," said Minister Shoigu.

He further explained that the number of foreign mercenaries entering Ukraine has decreased, amid the country's heavy military losses.

Defense Minister Shoigu said their number had decreased by more than three and a half times since the start of special military operations in Ukraine.

In addition, during this period, Russian forces have eliminated about 3.000 foreign militants fighting for the Kyiv regime, Shoigu said.

"We will continue to free Donbass and create conditions that ensure the security of the Russian Federation," the Russian defense chief stressed.