Map of the special operation in Ukraine on May 9th

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 the map of military operations for May 9 in the Izvestia material.

In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, during the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the Victory, all groups of Russian troops in the special operation zone continue to strictly observe the ceasefire regime and remain on previously occupied borders and positions. Despite the declaration of a truce, Ukrainian armed groups carried out strikes using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and artillery against positions of Russian troops, as well as civilian targets in the republics of Crimea, Adygea and the Chechen Republic, Perm, Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk, Orel, Moscow, Voronezh, Rostov, Ryazan, Lipetsk, Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions.

During the truce, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) carried out 1,173 attacks, carried out 7,151 drone strikes, and launched 12 attacks on positions of Russian units. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, a total of 8,970 violations of the ceasefire regime by the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been recorded in the CBO zone.

"Under these conditions, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation mirrored the violations of the truce. They retaliated against firing positions of multiple rocket launchers, artillery and mortars. Control points and launch sites of unmanned aerial vehicles were hit. During the retaliatory strikes, units of the North group of forces defeated the manpower and equipment of the mechanized and motorized infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of settlements <...> in the Sumy region," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The Russian army did not launch air strikes, drone strikes, missiles, or artillery. In turn, air defense systems shot down eight guided aerial bombs, a HIMARS multiple rocket launcher and 467 aircraft-type drones. The forces of the Black Sea Fleet in the northwestern part of the Black Sea destroyed two unmanned boats of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, since the beginning of the special operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost 671 aircraft, 284 helicopters, 144,746 UAVs, 659 anti-aircraft missile systems, 29,236 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,717 multiple rocket launchers, 34,844 field artillery and mortars, 61,180 pieces of special vehicles.

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