MOSCOW. June 6 (Interfax) - The Russian military has prevented Ukrainian forces from driving a wedge into its defensive lines in the vicinity of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), repelling an offensive towards Kleshcheyevka and Berkhovka, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"In the Artyomovsk area, intensive operations by the southern group of forces successfully repelled four attempted offensive actions by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 5th Mountain Assault Brigade towards Kleshcheyevka and the 77th Air Mobile Brigade towards Berkhovka in the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR]," Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
"The enemy was prevented from flanking and driving a wedge into our defenses," he said.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 260 troops, five tanks, four armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, two Grad multiple rocket launchers, three Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, a French-made Cezar self-propelled artillery system, a U.S.-made M777 artillery system, and D-30 and Msta-B howitzers over the past 24 hours, Konashenkov said.
"In the Kupyansk sector, air and artillery strikes by the western group of forces struck Ukrainian units near Novomlynsk and Kislovka in the Kharkov region and Rozovka in the Lugansk People's Republic [LPR]," he said.
In addition, four Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were neutralized in the same area, he said.
In this sector, Ukraine lost up to 40 troops, an armored fighting vehicle, three automobiles and three Grad multiple rocket launchers in the past 24 hours, he said.
"In the Krasny Liman sector, tactical and army aviation and artillery of the central group of forces struck enemy units near Kuzmino in the LPR and Torskoye in the DPR," Konashenkov said.
In this sector, Ukraine lost up to 60 troops, two armored fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and Msta-B and D-30 howitzers, he said
"In the Kherson sector, strikes destroyed more than 25 Ukrainian soldiers, two pickup trucks and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system in the past 24 hours," Konashenkov said.