MOSCOW. March 6 (Interfax) - Russian forces have improved their tactical positions in the Kupyansk and southern Donetsk sectors and have taken more advantageous locations in the Donetsk and Avdeyevka sectors of the special military operation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"In the Kupyansk sector, units of the western group of forces have improved their tactical position and struck personnel and hardware of the 14th Mechanized Brigade, 25th Airborne Brigade, and 68th Chasseurs Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and 12th Ukrainian National Guard brigade near Novoselovka and Serebryanka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and near Sverdlovka in the Lugansk People's Republic," the ministry said on Wednesday.
Russian forces repelled three counterattacks by the 32nd Mechanized Brigade and 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Sinkovka in the Kharkov region and Terny in the DPR, it said.
The Ukrainian army's losses in said sector amounted to up to 165 troops, one tank, three automobiles, three Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery systems, and a U.S.-made M198 howitzer, it said.
"In the Donetsk sector, units of the southern group of forces engaged in active combat captured more advantages frontline positions and caused damage to units of the 5th and 92nd Assault Brigades, 22nd, 28th, and 54th Mechanized Brigades, and 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Bogdanovka, Kleshcheyevka, Andreyevka, Zakotnoye, and Pershe Travnya (DPR)," it said.
Two Ukrainian Armed Forces' counterattacks were repelled near Novomikhailovka and Pobeda in the DPR, in which Ukraine lost up to 260 troops, two tanks, two armored personnel carriers, two armored fighting vehicles, 14 automobiles, a Msta-B howitzer, two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and three ammunition depots, it said.
"In the Avdeyevka sector, units of the central group of forces captured more advantageous locations and positions owing to their coordinated actions," it said.
Three attacks by Ukrainian assault groups were repelled near Leninskoye and Novgorodskoye and nine counterattacks near Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Orlovka, and Vodyanoye in the DPR, it said.
"Fire damage was caused to personnel and hardware of the 23rd, 42nd, 47th, 53rd, 61st, and 92nd Mechanized Brigades and the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Novopokrovskoye, Ocheretino, Novoselovka Pervaya, and Toretsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)," it said.
"In the southern Donetsk sector, owing to active moves, units of the eastern group of forces improved their tactical position and caused fire damage to enemy personnel and hardware near Mirnoye and Ugledar in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)," the ministry said.
Ukraine's losses in said sector included up to 210 troops, two tanks, three automobiles, a Strela-10 air defense missile launcher, and an ammunition depot, it said.
"In the Kherson sector, units of the Dnepr group of forces struck personnel and hardware of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 118th Mechanized Brigade, 126th Territorial Defense Brigade, and 23rd National Guard Brigade near Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye region, near Tokarevka and Sadovoye in the Kherson region, and near Vyschetarasovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region," it said.
Ukraine lost up to 30 troops and two automobiles in said area, it said.