Russia claims to have captured 16 settlements in Ukraine over past week

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Friday that its forces captured 16 Ukrainian settlements over the past week, including a major logistics hub, the city of Kupiansk.

According to a ministry statement, Ukraine mostly responded with air raids, and over the course of the week, Russian air defense systems shot down four US-made ATACMS and four UK-made Storm Shadow missiles, 15 guided aerial bombs, four US-made HIMARS rockets, two Neptune long-range guided missiles, and 1,089 drones.

It also said its forces managed to destroy two HIMARS and two US-made MLRS multiple launch rocket launchers.

Ukraine denied Russia's claims about taking control of the settlements of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region and Yampil in the Donetsk region.

"Counter-sabotage measures and special operations aimed at detecting and eliminating enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups that have infiltrated the city are ongoing in the city and its suburbs," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement, noting that a similar situation is observed in Yampil.