"The Russian Armed Forces are systematically depleting the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In May, the enemy suffered losses of more than 35,000 troops and 2,700 units of various weapons. Among them were 290 tanks and armored combat vehicles, including four Abrams, seven Leopards, and 12 Bradleys. In addition, 11 planes and four helicopters were shot down, while 730 field artillery and multiple rocket launchers were destroyed," Belousov said at a meeting of the CSTO Council of Defense Ministers in Almaty on Friday.
According to him, "deprived of the opportunity to seize the initiative on the battlefield, the Kiev regime continues to demonstrate to its Western sponsors its ability to damage the Russian Federation by hitting civilian infrastructure."
“And we see that the intensity of these actions is increasing ahead of the upcoming conference in Switzerland in mid-June,” Belousov added.
In May, the Russian Armed Forces intercepted more than a thousand unmanned aerial vehicles, over two hundred and fifty HIMARS and Vampire missiles, over 80 Hammer guided bombs, 50 ATACMS operational-tactical missiles and eight SCULP cruise missiles, the minister said.
Russian military took control of 28 settlements in the military operation zone in May and forced Ukrainian troops to retreat eight to nine kilometers (five to six miles) in important areas in the Kharkov region, the minister said.
"In total, 880 square kilometers [340 square miles] of territory came under the control of the Russian army this year," Belousov added.
Ukraine is Plotting Sabotage With Help of NATO
Ukraine is preparing sabotage with the participation of NATO advisers and specialists, and Western weapons are being used to cause harm to civilians in Russia, Andrei Belousov said.
"With the participation of NATO advisers and specialists, sabotage is being prepared, Western weapons are being used to cause damage to civilian infrastructure and civilians in Russia," Belousov said.
All attempts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia are futile, the minister added.
The Russian armed forces repelled a massive attack on the Crimean Bridge with 10 ATACMS missiles earlier this week, the Russian Defense Minister said.
"Literally the night before yesterday there was the most massive attack by 10 ATACMS missiles on the Crimean Bridge with a flight time of less than two minutes. All the missiles were shot down. As a result, hundreds of lives were saved," Belousov said.