MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - Russian forces have improved their positions in the Kupyansk sector and have repelled 79 Ukrainian attacks, including 27 around Kupyansk, over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"In the Kupyansk sector, units from the western group of forces improved their frontlines in certain areas and repelled 27 attacks by the enemy over the past week," the ministry said.
Aircraft and artillery hit troops and hardware of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, 25th Airborne Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and the 30th, 43rd, 60th and 115th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Lugansk People's Republic and the Kharkov region, it said.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 265 troops, a tank, an armored combat vehicle, 18 trucks and five artillery systems over the past week, the ministry said.
"In the Krasny Liman sector, units from the central group of forces backed by aircraft and artillery improved their frontline positions and repelled 13 attacks by the enemy," it said.