Publish Date: 17 January 2023 - 22:10

TEHRAN, Jan. 17 (MNA) – Russian forces on the Zaporozhye section of the frontline destroy Ukraine’s HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems during their deployment, the leader of the movement We are together with Russia, Vladimir Rogov, said.

He drew attention to the fact that Ukrainian bombardments of the Zaporozhye NPP had practically ceased recently.

"The shellings [of the ZNPP] have almost died down. This is a result of the good job done by our artillery and our aerospace forces, which not only suppress the enemy’s firing positions when Energodar, the nuclear power plant or the suburbs begin to be shelled but also give the enemy no chance to deploy heavy weapons and HIMARS MLRS. Everything is "knocked out" at the moment of preparations for opening fire from Nikopol, Marganets, Krasnogrigorovka and other communities on the right bank of the Dnieper," Rogov said on the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station on Tuesday, TASS reported.

On Monday, an adviser to the CEO of the Rosenergoatom concern, Renat Karchaa, said that the Ukrainian army had not fired single shot at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant since the beginning of this year. Some Ukrainian shells hit only the industrial zone of Energodar and along the waterfront.

Russian air defense intercepted 14 HIMARS and ‘Olkha’ rockets in the past 24 hours, Russian Defense Minister Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense systems downed 6 Ukrainian drones near settlements of Kremennaya (LPR), Nikolskoye and Petrovskoye (DPR). A total of 14 HIMARS and ‘Olkha’ multiple launch rockets were intercepted near settlements of Udy (Kharkov Region), Smolyaninovo (LPR), and cities of Donetsk and Khartsyzk (DPR)," Konashenkov said.

According to the spokesman, a US-made HARM anti-radar missile was downed near the settlement of Radensk, Kherson Region; a ‘Tochka-U’ tactical ballistic missile was downed near the city of Berdyansk, Zaporozhye Region.

Konashenkov added that, since the beginning of the special military operation, the enemy lost: 372 planes, 200 helicopters, 2,891 drones, 401 missile air defense systems, 7,549 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 984 multiple launch rocket system launchers, 3,853 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 8,081 special military automobile vehicles.

MP/PR