Russians Destroy 33 M777 Howitzers, Six HIMARs, Five Harpoon Launchers in Ukraine, Pentagon Denies

As part of a new campaign to find-and-destroy American-supplied equipment to Ukraine, the Russian military destroyed 33 American M777 howitzers, five launchers of the Harpoon anti-ship missile system, six HIMARS launchers and over 200 MLRS missiles, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Tuesday.

He however did not specify when, where and by what means the American-supplied equipment was destoryed.

"Uncontrolled deliveries of Western weapons to Ukraine seriously threaten the security of the region. In total, as a result of attacks by Russian troops on military facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 33 American M777 howitzers, five launchers of the Harpoon anti-ship missile system were destroyed. Also, six launchers and more than two hundred missiles of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) of HIMARS fire," Shoigu said at a conference call on Tuesday.

Also, according to him, over the past two weeks, the Armed Forces of Ukraine "have lost three hundred and ninety-six Javelin and EnLo anti-tank missile systems, 125 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) of the Stinger type."

This comes at a time when the Pentagon and Ukraine have claimed success with HIMARS in conducting precision strike at Russian positions.

The Pentagon denied Russian claims that its forces had destroyed six U.S.-made HIMARS missile systems since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

"We are aware of these latest claims by Minister Shoigu and they are again patently false," Todd Breasseale, the Pentagon's acting spokesman, said during a briefing