Map of the special operation in Ukraine on January 2

Russia has been conducting a special military operation to protect civilians in Donbas since February 24, 2022. You can track the progress of the joint troops of Russia, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DNR and LNR), as well as view a map of military operations for January 2 in the Izvestiya piece.

The Defense Ministry said that Russian air defense assets eliminated a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 aircraft, six American HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and 97 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the aircraft type.

Also, units of the "North" group of forces on the Kharkiv direction defeated formations of the motorized infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and two brigades of the thero-defense in the areas of Liptsy, Sosnovka, Pokalyanoye and Vilcha in the Kharkiv region.

In this direction, the Ukrainian army lost up to 40 servicemen, a vehicle and three 122-millimeter howitzers D-30, the defense ministry specified.

"Our fighters have their own home behind them, literally."

How tankers of the 51st Donetsk Army destroy Ukrainian militants' strongholds in the Toretsk direction

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation destroyed: 651 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 39144 drones, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs), 20137 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1504 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,134 field artillery and mortar guns, 29,701 units of special military vehicles.

For more up-to-date video and details on the situation in Donbas, see Izvestiya TV channel.