MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) - Russian forces have suppressed the operations of six Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Lugansk and Donetsk people's republics and the Kharkov region, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"The operations of five Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were put to a stop in the vicinity of Timkovka, Masyutovka and Kotlyarovka in the Kharkov region and Novosyolovskoye and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People's Republic," Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
"In the Kupyansk sector, aircraft and artillery from the western group of forces hit troops and hardware of the enemy near Novomlynsk and Kislovka in the Kharkov region," he said.
The Ukrainian army lost up to 60 servicemen and four trucks there, Konashenkov said.
"The operations of a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group were put to a stop near Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said.
In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye sectors, aircraft and artillery from the eastern group of forces hit hostile units in the DPR and the Zaporozhye region, Konashenkov said.
The Ukrainian army lost up to 135 troops, three trucks, two Msta-B howitzers, and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system in that area, he said.
"In the Krasny Liman sector, tactical aircraft, army aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrowers from the central group of forces hit hostile units near Nevskoye and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People's Republic and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," Konashenkov said.
"Up to 65 Ukrainian servicemen were killed and two infantry fighting vehicles and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system were destroyed there over the day," he said.
In the Kherson sector, gunfire "killed up to 25 Ukrainian troops and destroyed an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system and five trucks in the past 24 hours," Konashenkov said.