The depot, which supplied the Russian military, was targeted in a coordinated operation involving Ukraine's Special Operations Forces and the Unmanned Systems Forces.
Zelensky said this was "the only possible meaning" of Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply in the winter, given Russian attacks on power plants and the distribution network.
The figure includes both dead and wounded and is part of the total losses of approximately 785,000 Russian troops since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.
The new route, part of China's economic expansion efforts, aims to expand Chinese commercial influence in Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Russian territory.
Ukraine's General Staff said this combat operation "significantly reduced the enemy's ability to carry out airstrikes using kamikaze drones against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."
Operations at the airport were suspended at 6 a.m. amid a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting the Russian regions of Voronezh, Rostov, and Belgorod.
Grenell previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first term, as acting National Intelligence Director in 2020, and as Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations from 2019 to 2021.