MOSCOW. July 13 (Interfax) - Russian forces have repelled 16 Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk sector, in addition to three in the Krasny Liman sector and two in the southern Donetsk sector in the past 24 hours, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Thursday.
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces continued unsuccessful attempts [to conduct] an offensive in the Donetsk, Krasny Liman and southern Donetsk sectors over the past day. Sixteen enemy attacks were repelled near Vesyoloye, Krasnogorovka, Severnoye, Novomikhailovka and Maryinka in the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR] thanks to the courageous actions of the southern group of forces in the Donetsk sector," Konashenkov said.
Another three attacks were repelled in the Krasny Liman sector and two in the southern Donetsk sector, he said.
A Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group was neutralized near Kurdyumovka in the DPR, Konashenkov said.
The enemy lost up to 480 troops, six pickup trucks, three Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery systems and Msta-B and D-30 howitzers in action. An AN/TPQ-50 counter-mortar radar was destroyed near the DPR village of Predtechino, he said.
"In the Krasny Liman sector, units from the central group of forces, backed by aircraft and artillery, hit troops and hardware of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 63rd, 66th and 67th Mechanized Brigades near Torskoye in the DPR, and Karmazinovka and Kuzmino in the Lugansk People's Republic [LPR]," he said.
Three enemy attacks were repelled near Chervonaya Dibrova and Kremennaya in the LPR, Konashenkov said.
"Up to 90 Ukrainian troops were killed, and four armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed during the day," he said.
In the southern Donetsk sector, artillery and heavy flamethrowers of the eastern group of forces prevented the enemy from mounting two attacks near Rovnopol and Novodonetskoye in the DPR, Konashenkov said.
"In the Zaporozhye sector, the combined actions of Russian troops hit servicemen and hardware of the Ukrainian 128th Mountain Assault Brigade near Pyatikhatki in the Zaporozhye region and repelled an attack by units of Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade near Rabotino in the Zaporozhye region," Konashenkov said.
In those areas, the enemy lost over 180 troops, one tank, five armored combat vehicles, two trucks, a British-made AS90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, two Msta-B howitzers, three D-20 howitzers, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and a Grad multiple rocket launcher, he said.
In the Kupyansk sector, tactical aircraft, army aviation and artillery from the western group of forces hit troops and hardware of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Krasnoye Pervoye and Liman Pervy in the Kharkov region and Novosyolovskoye in the LPR, Konashenkov said.
"Up to 30 Ukrainian troops were killed, and two armored personnel carriers, two trucks, a D-20 howitzer, and two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems were destroyed," he said.
"In the Kherson sector, gunfire killed up to 70 Ukrainian troops and destroyed an armored combat vehicle, three trucks and two self-propelled artillery systems - an Akatsiya and a Gvozdika - over the past day," Konashenkov said.