Ukrainian air forces on Friday shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone named "Kartograf" in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region as the war continues.

"On September 02, at about 09.00 a.m. the Russian 'Kartograf' drone was eliminated in the sky over Mykolaiv by the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Air Force. The drone is part of the Ptero family of multipurpose unmanned systems (UAV)," the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a Facebook post, according to an English translation.

The Kartograf is a type of aircraft with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, which is often used to help adjust or organize artillery fire or missile strikes, the Ukrainian Military Center reported, adding that Russian forces have been trying to carry out aerial reconnaissance in south Ukraine.

Russian troops have lost ground during Ukraine's recent counteroffensive in the Russian-occupied Kherson region, according to maps from British defense intelligence. When compared with a map from August 26, several days before the Kherson effort was announced, a stretch of contested area on the Kherson front has increased in size. Although a small change, that contested area has noticeably widened into Russian-controlled territory.

The Ukrainian defense ministry said on Friday that its forces have taken down over 853 Russian drones, 234 jets and 205 helicopters since the beginning of the war on February 24.

A Ukrainian brigade said in July that it shot down an Su-25 Russian combat aircraft in the Donetsk region using a short-range portable air-defense system.

"Another enemy Su-25 is finished," the brigade, which is an airborne formation of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, said on its Facebook page.

Also in July, the Ukrainian defense ministry announced that its forces took down a $16 million Russian combat helicopter. The Ka-52 helicopter is one of Russia's strongest helicopters, with the ability to detect and attack any targets and provide direct support to troops on the ground.

"Ukrainian warriors of the 25th Paratrooper Brigade shot down a russian combat helicopter Ka-52 with 'Igla' MANPADS," the defense ministry tweeted at the time. "Ka-52 is worth about $16 million." The post did not specify what weapons were used to shoot the helicopter down or where the incident occurred.

Additionally, in June, Ukrainian troops took down a massive Russian helicopter gunship that ended up crashing into flames in a field.

Images of the strike were obtained from the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, along with a short statement saying: "In the Donetsk region, fighters of territorial defense of Ukraine brought down the Russian military Mi-35M helicopter."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian foreign affairs ministry for comment.

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