The Russian defense ministry said the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system was used for the first time during the current military operation in Ukraine, Interfax-AVN reported.

"On March 18, the Kinzhal aviation missile system destroyed—with hypersonic ballistic missiles—a large underground depot of missiles and aviation ammunition of the Ukrainian troops in the village of Delyatin of the Ivano-Frankovsk region," the Russian defense ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said Saturday morning.

Konashenkov added that the Russian military used the Bastion mobile coastal missile system to destroy the Ukrainian radar intelligence centers near Odessa.

"On the night of March 18, Russian operative-tactical, army, and drone planes hit 69 military facilities of Ukraine," Konashenkov noted.

Twelve Ukrainian drones were shot down in the air by Russian air defense systems, added the spokesman for the Russian defense ministry.

"A total of 196 Ukrainian drones, 1,438 tanks and other armored vehicles, 145 rocket launchers, 556 field artillery weapons and grenades, as well as 1,237 units of special military equipment have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation," Igor Konashenkov said.