Map of the special operation in Ukraine on March 18

A special military operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass has been conducted by Russia since February 24, 2022. You can track the progress of the joint forces of Russia, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), as well as view the map of military operations on March 18 in the Izvestia material.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Zapad group of forces improved their tactical position and hit the equipment and manpower of five brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the areas of the settlements of Malaya Shapkovka, Monachinovka, Radkovka, Shyikovka and Proletarskoye in the Kharkiv region.

The Ukrainian army lost up to 205 soldiers there, five pickup trucks, an ammunition depot, three armored fighting vehicles (BMWs), including an M113 armored personnel carrier made in the United States, three electronic warfare (EW) stations and four artillery pieces, two of which were manufactured in NATO countries.

The Russian Armed Forces have hit oil industry facilities that provide the Armed Forces, drone storage and use sites, military airfield infrastructure, as well as concentrations of personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian army in 146 districts.

Purpose and instructions: UAV divisions have been created in artillery brigades

Drones have significantly increased the effectiveness of Russian accounting

Since the beginning of the special military operation, 658 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 47,211 unmanned aerial vehicles, 22,314 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,529 multiple rocket launcher combat vehicles, 601 anti-aircraft missile systems, 33,012 units of special military vehicles and 22,638 field artillery and mortars have been destroyed.

Watch more relevant videos and details about the situation in Donbass on the Izvestia TV channel.