MOSCOW. Aug 7 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry has reported offensive actions on a broad front in the Kupyansk sector and advancing into Ukrainian defensive lines.
"In the Kupyansk sector, assault units from the western group of forces conducted offensive operations on a broad front and improved their frontline positions near Olshana and Pershotravnevoye in the Kharkov region," ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.
"Over the past three days, Russian forces have advanced 11 kilometers on the frontline and over three kilometers into the enemy's defensive lines in this area," Konashenkov said.
Russian forces repelled 12 counterattacks by units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 14th, 32nd and 67th Mechanized Brigades near Sinkovka in the Kharkov region and Novosyolovskoye and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, he said.
"Assault and army aviation and artillery hit concentrations of Ukrainian troops and hardware near Kupyansk, Kotlyarovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov region," Konashenkov said.
Ukrainian forces lost up to 110 troops, two armored combat vehicles, three trucks, a U.S.-made M777 artillery system, and a U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 radar in that area over the past day, he said.