Moscow, March 15 : The Russian armed forces have taken control of entire Kherson region in Ukraine’s south, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in Moscow on Tuesday. Konashenkov also said Russian paratroopers have disclosed they have captured Ukrainians and foreign mercenaries in the Huta-Mezhyhirska area near capital Kyiv and seized 10 US-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems. “The Russian armed forces have taken full control of the entire territory of the Kherson region,” Konashenkov told reporters. Donetsk People’s Republic troops continuing their offensive have broken through Ukrainian defences taking control of Panteleimonivka. Konashenkov also said that Russia’s Air Forces shot down 16 Ukrainian military aircraft, including 13 drones. “In total, aviation and air defence systems of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down 16 air targets over the past day: one Su-24 and one Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian forces, one Mi-8 helicopter and 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, including six Bayraktar TB2 (combat drones),” Konashenkov said. Since February 24, the Russian armed forces have also hit 136 military facilities of Ukraine, including seven command posts and comm cation centers, four anti-aircraft missile systems, three multiple rocket launchers, four radar stations, among other targets. Russia has also destroyed 156 Ukrainian drones, 1,306 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 127 multiple rocket launchers, 471 field artillery guns and mortars, 1,054 ts of special military vehicles were destroyed, he noted. “Three hangars with four Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft, one Mi-24 helicopter and five Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed at the military airfield near Kramatorsk,” Konashenkov added. “On the evening of March 14, near the village of Huta-Mezhyhirska, ts of Russian airborne troops captured a stronghold of nationalists and foreign mercenaries. Russian paratroopers seized 10 US-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems and a number of other weapons supplied by Western countries to Ukraine,” Konashenkov told reporters. All Javelin anti-tank systems and other foreign weapons seized during the operation are transferred to the ts of the people’s militia of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, Sputnik quoted him as saying. VP ING