Map of the special operation in Ukraine on June 17

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 June 17 in the Izvestia material.

At night, the Russian army launched a combined group strike with precision weapons and drone strikes against the facilities of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex in the Kiev region and Zaporizhia. All targets were successfully hit.

Units of the Center group of forces improved their position along the front line, destroying up to 530 militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), three armored fighting vehicles (BMVS) and five pickups. At the same time, the Vostok group continued to advance deep into the enemy's defenses, while the units of the Southern Group occupied more advantageous lines and positions.

"Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the mechanized, mountain assault brigades, the coastal defense brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the air defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Pavlovka, Stepnogorsk, Novodanilovka, Zaporizhia region, Antonovka and Nikolskoye, Kherson region," the Russian Defense Ministry added.

The Air Defense Forces, in turn, shot down five American-made JDAM guided aerial bombs and 233 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

According to the Ministry of Defense, since the beginning of the special operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost 663 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 63,970 UAVs, 611 anti-aircraft missile systems, 23,935 tanks and other armored personnel carriers, 1,572 multiple rocket launchers, 26,280 field artillery guns and mortars, 36,950 units of special military vehicles.

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