Russian air defense units have shot down 29 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the special military operation zone including the territory of the Lugansk People’s Republic over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.   “Over the past 24 hours <...> air defense units <...> destroyed 29 Ukrainian UAVs in the areas of Novodruzhesk, Kremennaya and Verkhnekamenka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Novobakhmutovka, Vladimirovka and Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Sinkovka in the Kharkov region, Novaya Kakhovka in the Kerson region and Gulyai Pole in the Zaporozhye region,” the report said.   “On the Kupyansk axis, Task Force “West” aircraft and artillery delivered strikes at Ukrainian army units in the areas of Berestovoye and Masyutovka in the Kharkov region. A Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group was thwarted in the area of Novoselovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic. “Enemy losses on this axis over the past 24 hours amounted up to 70 servicemen, three cars, one “Grad” multiple rocket launcher and D-30 and Msta-B howitzers. “On the Krasny Liman axis, “Center” task force aircraft and artillery inflicted damage on enemy units in the areas of Kuzmino in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Torskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Ukrainian forces lost more than 60 servicemen, two pickups, two “Gvozdika” self-propelled howitzers, two D-20 howitzers and one Msta-B howitzer,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.    ***   The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014.  The peace talks failed to reach tangible results due to Kiev’s position to settle the conflict by force.   President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation on February 24, 2022 to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Prior to that, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance.   The Lugansk People’s Republic acceded to Russia on September 30, 2022 following the unification referendum. *i*ie