MOSCOW. March 2 (Interfax) - The southern and central groups of forces are conducting active operations in the Donetsk and Krasny Liman sectors, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"In the Krasny Liman sector, active operations of the central group of forces, strikes by aircraft, and artillery and heavy flamethrower fire have hit troops and hardware of Ukrainian forces near Yampolovka in the Donetsk People's Republic and Nevskoye, Chervonopopovka and Kuzmino in the Lugansk People's Republic," Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Thursday.
In this area, the Ukrainian army lost up to 160 troops, seven armored combat vehicles and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, he said.
"In the Donetsk sector, active operations of the southern group of forces, strikes by aircraft, and artillery fire killed up to 270 Ukrainian troops and destroyed six infantry combat vehicles, three armored combat vehicles, nine trucks, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and Msta-B and D-30 howitzers," Konashenkov said.
A communication center and an ammo depot of the 110th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been destroyed, he said.
"In the Kupyansk sector, army aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrowers of the western group of forces hit hostiles near Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People's Republic and Masyutovka and Olshana in the Kharkov region," Konashenkov said.
Ukrainian forces lost over 50 troops and two trucks there over the past day, he said.
Meanwhile, an ammo depot of the 14th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed in the Kharkov region, Konashenkov said.
"In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye sectors, tactical aviation and artillery of the eastern group of forces delivered combined strikes on Ukrainian army units near Ugledar in the Donetsk People's Republic and Malaya Tokmachka and Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye region," Konashenkov said. "In those areas, the enemy lost up to 80 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, and Msta-B and D-30 howitzers over the day," he said.
"In the Kherson sector, aircraft and artillery killed up to 80 Ukrainian troops and destroyed 30 vehicles and a Msta-B howitzer over the day, while an ammo depot of the 123rd territorial defense brigade was hit near Tokarevka in the Kherson region," Konashenkov said.