Map of the special operation in Ukraine on August 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 August 9 in the Izvestia material.

The fighters of the North group of forces occupied more advantageous positions and lines and defeated the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Sumy and Kharkiv regions. The enemy lost up to 285 people, an armored combat vehicle, 13 vehicles and two artillery pieces.

The Zapad group of forces has improved the tactical situation. The Ukrainian formations in the DPR and the Kharkiv region were defeated. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 210 soldiers, three armored combat vehicles, 21 vehicles, three artillery pieces, an electronic warfare (EW) station and a counter-battery radar station.

As a result of active actions, the military personnel of the southern group liberated the village of Vasyutinskoye in the DPR. The enemy lost more than 190 militants, three armored combat vehicles, 20 vehicles, two artillery pieces and an electronic warfare station.

As a result of decisive actions, units of the Center group of forces liberated the village of Toretskoye in the DPR, and also hit Ukrainian formations in the republic and the Dnipropetrovsk region. The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to over 345 military personnel, five armored combat vehicles, 15 vehicles, an artillery piece and an electronic warfare station.

The Vostok group of troops continued to move into the depth of the enemy's defenses. Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were also defeated in a number of settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions. The enemy lost up to 370 people, four armored fighting vehicles and 11 vehicles.

Fighters of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the Armed Forces brigades in areas of populated areas of the Zaporizhia region. More than 45 militants, an armored combat vehicle, 16 vehicles, two artillery pieces and three electronic warfare stations were destroyed.

The "secret" of success: how snipers cover the advance groups and hunt for drones

Pairs of sharpshooters shoot down drones in the hottest spots on the line of contact.

Russian troops used tactical air strikes, combat drones, rocket and artillery systems to defeat fuel, energy and transport infrastructure facilities used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a military airfield, as well as temporary locations of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 164 districts.

Ten guided aerial bombs, four US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, as well as 970 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by air defense systems.

According to the Ministry of Defense, since the beginning of the special military operation, 673 aircraft, 284 helicopters, 201,891 unmanned aerial vehicles, 669 anti-aircraft missile systems, 30,506 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,769 multiple rocket launchers, 36,100 field artillery and mortars, 68,795 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

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