Russia destroys hundreds of US-made rockets in Ukraine: MoD

Russian forces have destroyed a large amount of munitions for American-made weapon systems after striking a depot in central Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

In its daily update, the ministry claimed that the strike was carried out near the village of Uman in Ukraine’s Cherkasy Region via long-range high-precision sea-based weapons and destroyed over 300 rockets for HIMARS multiple rocket launch systems. A large amount of ammunition for American M777 howitzers was also taken out, it said.

The report follows an update from August 7, when the ministry claimed to have hit over 45,000 tons of NATO-supplied ammunition in southern Ukraine along with five other ammo depots.

The ministry says that it is actively monitoring foreign fighters and specialists that have arrived in Ukraine, noting that their number has been reduced to 2,190 from 2,741 in early July.

It also reported that between July 8 and August 5, 175 mercenaries joined Kiev’s forces, but said that it’s not enough to cover the losses in their ranks.

“During the specified period, we can reliably confirm the elimination of 335 foreign fighters,” the ministry said, adding that another 398 had left the territory of Ukraine voluntarily.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”