TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (MNA) – Russian air defense systems have shot down a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship cruise missile and 27 drones over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Tuesday.

"Air defenes systems have intercepted two High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) shells, a Neptune anti-ship missile and two High-Speed Anti-Radiation missiles (HARM). In addition, 27 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the past day," the ministry reported.

Moreover, the Ukrainian military lost over 400 soldiers in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions in the past 24 hours, the ministry noted.

"The enemy losses in this [Donetsk] direction amounted to more than 340 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, six armored combat vehicles, 13 vehicles, as well as two howitzers — D-20 and Msta-B," the ministry clarified, according to Sputnik.

The Russian forces repelled two attacks in Zaporizhzhia direction, the ministry added.

"During the day, [in the Zaporizhzhia direction] up to 90 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, four vehicles, three M777 artillery systems and two M119 howitzers made in the US, as well as an FH-70 gun made in United Kindom were destroyed," the ministry said.

Furthermore, the ministry reported that six attacks have been repelled in the Kupyansk direction, where Kyiv lost up to 50 soldiers, and three attacks have been repelled in the Krasny Liman direction, where Ukraine's casualties reached up to 80 soldiers.

"In the South Donetsk direction, units of [Russia’s] Vostok [East] grouping of troops … destroyed up to 100 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, and two howitzers, namely Akatsiya and Giatsint-B, during the past day," the ministry said, adding that Ukraine also lost 20 soldiers in the Kherson direction.

A Russian fighter jet has destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the Black Sea that tried to attack objects on the Russian territory, the ministry also noted.

"Today, at about 12:00 Moscow time [09:00 GMT], an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by one aircraft-type UAV on objects in Russia was thwarted. An unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed by a naval aviation aircraft over the Black Sea," the ministry stated.

MNA/PR