A total of 516 armored vehicles, seven helicopters, 10 planes, more than 2,800 military personnel, nearly 80 tanks, and 20 cruise missiles belonging to Russia have been neutralized since the beginning of Russia’s military intervention, the Ukrainian army said on Friday.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Facebook that Russian forces continued their military operation against Ukraine with the help of long-range weapons.
Meanwhile, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that a Moldovan-flagged replenishment tanker was hit by a Russian ship 19 kilometers (12 miles) off the Port Pivdenny, near Odessa.
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine entered its second day on Friday, with the latest reports indicating that Russian troops were heading toward the capital Kyiv from several directions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the military intervention on Thursday, just days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.
He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy the neighboring country, but wanted to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to install a puppet government and said Ukrainians will defend their country against Russian aggression.
