MOSCOW. Sept 6 (Interfax) - Russian forces have improved their tactical position near Sverdlovka in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) in the Kupyansk sector, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
"In the Kupyansk sector, units from the western group of forces supported by aircraft and artillery and conducting intensive operations have improved their tactical position near Sverdlovka in the Lugansk People's Republic," Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
"Two counterattacks by assault groups from the 95th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled near Sergeyevka in the Lugansk People's Republic," he said.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 40 troops, two trucks, a U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system and a D-30 howitzer in that area over the past day, Konashenkov said.
"In the Donetsk sector, units from the southern group of forces working with aircraft and artillery repelled ten attacks by assault groups from the 80th Air Assault Brigade, the 110th Mechanized Brigade and the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Kleshcheyevka, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Khimik, Nevelskoye and Maryinka in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said.
"Troops and hardware of the 17th Tank Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were hit near Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic," Konashenkov said.
In that area, Ukrainian forces lost up to 285 troops, a tank, two infantry vehicles, five trucks, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, a Rapira gun, and a drone control post, he said.
"In the southern Donetsk sector, units from the eastern group of forces backed by aircraft and artillery repelled an attack by an assault unit of the 38th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Novodonetskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," Konashenkov said.
"Concentrations of enemy troops and hardware were hit near Urozhainoye and Novodonetskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said.
In that area, Ukrainian forces lost over 180 troops, five tanks, two armored combat vehicles, two trucks, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system,e two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and a D-20 howitzer, Konashenkov said.
"In the Krasny Liman sector, the professional operations of units from the central group of forces supported by aircraft and artillery repelled two attacks by assault groups from the 12th Special Ops Brigade and the 63rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People's Republic and the Serebryanskoye forestry area," Konashenkov said.
Ukrainian forces lost up to 50 troops, two armored combat vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system and a D-30 howitzer in that area, he said.
In the Kherson sector, Ukrainian forces lost up to 65 troops, four trucks and a Msta-B howitzer in strikes by Russian aviation and artillery.
Russian air defense intercepted 12 HIMARS projectiles and Uragan multiple rocket launchers, and ECM systems jammed and downed 17 Ukrainian drones in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, and the Zaporozhye, Kharkov and Kherson regions., he said
"Tactical aircraft, army aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Russian contingent hit troops and military hardware of the enemy in 103 areas," Konashenkov said.