MOSCOW. June 28 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Armed Forces have continued trying to launch offensive actions in the Donetsk, southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye sectors over the past 24 hours, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces continued their attempted offensive in the Donetsk, southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye sectors over the past day," Konashenkov said.
"In the Donetsk sector, intensive operations by units from the southern group of forces successfully repelled five enemy attacks in the vicinity of Artyomovsk, Pervomaiskoye, Petrovskoye and Vesyoloye in the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR]," he said.
"Tactical aircraft, army aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrowers killed over 240 Ukrainian troops and destroyed two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, and a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system," Konashenkov said.
In the southern Donetsk sector, troops, aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrowers from the eastern group of forces repelled two attacks, mounted by up to one enemy motorized infantry company each, in the area of Staromayorskoye on the Vremevka bulge in the DPR, he said.
"In the Zaporozhye sector, Russian aircraft, missile forces and artillery continued to strike concentrations of the enemy's reserves near Orekhov, Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka and Yablonevoye in the Zaporozhye region," Konashenkov said.
A Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group was neutralized near Marfopol in the Zaporozhye region, he said.
"In those sectors, the enemy lost up to 235 Ukrainian troops, three armored combat vehicles, two trucks, and D-20 and Msta-B howitzers over the past day," Konashenkov said.
In the Kupyansk sector, attack aircraft, army aviation and artillery from the western group of forces hit Ukrainian troops and hardware near Sinkovka, Kislovka and Timkovka in the Kharkov region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People's Republic [LPR], he said.
"In addition, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group was destroyed in the vicinity of Timkovka in the Kharkov region. The enemy lost more than 30 troops and three trucks," Konashenkov said.
In the Krasny Liman sector, units from the central group of forces repelled two enemy attacks near Kuzmino in the LPR and Grigorovka in the DPR.
Tactical aircraft and artillery hit units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 21st, 42nd, 63rd and 67th Mechanized Brigades and the 15th Regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard near Chervonaya Dibrova and Nevskoye in the LPR and Yampolovka, Terny and Grigorovka in the DPR, he said.
"The operations of two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were neutralized in the Serebryanskoye forest area," Konashenkov said.
"Up to 115 Ukrainian troops were killed, and two armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed over the day," he said.
In the Kherson sector, Russian troops and artillery destroyed a hostile sabotage and reconnaissance group trying to land and secure a position in the northern part of Antonovsky Island, Konashenkov said.
"Up to 50 Ukrainian troops were killed, and three trucks and Msta-B, D-20 and D-30 howitzers were destroyed in that area over the day," he said.