UKRAINE, Aug 5 — Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian Air Forces have destroyed more than 8,000 Russian air targets, including hundreds of airplanes and helicopters, thousands of cruise missiles, and drones, said Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of this branch of the armed forces.

“Ukrainian pilots [during the full-scale invasion] have carried out more than 20,000 combat missions, most of them involving the combat use of air defense systems. All this became possible thanks to the strong support of our Western partners. I am grateful to them for their conscious position in defending peace and democracy, our people,” Oleshchuk emphasized.

According to him, the Air Forces troops showed great courage, heroism, professionalism, and ingenuity skillfully using Western weapons.

The Lieutenant General noted that the combat is still ongoing. The Russians attack Ukraine around the clock with bombs and missiles, conduct aerial reconnaissance, and strike with drones every night.

According to Oleshchuk, the Ukrainian Air Forces and Air Defense Forces repel these attacks. They destroy the Russian military’s weapons, hit the Russians from the air, and keep the defense on the ground.

The General Staff reported that over the past day, Russian troops tried to storm Ukrainian positions 11 times in the Kharkiv direction near Lyptsi, Hlyboke, Tykhe, and Vovchansk.

According to the General Staff, in the Kupiansk direction, there were six combat clashes over the day. Defense forces repelled Russian assaults near five different towns and villages. The Russian army conducted two attacks in the direction of Petropavlivka.

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