MOSCOW. April 4 (Interfax) - Russian forces have taken better positions and improved their frontlines in a number of sectors of the special military operation zone in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
"In the Donetsk sector, units from the southern group of forces took better positions and struck troops and hardware of the 28th Mechanized Brigade and 92nd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and 241st Territorial Defense Brigade near Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka and Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)," the ministry said.
In the Avdeyevka sector, units from the central group of forces improved their frontlines by intensive operations and hit formations of the 24th and 47th Mechanized Brigades, 3rd Assault Brigade, and 25th Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Orlovka, Berdychi and Tonenkoye in the DPR, it said.
Tactical positions were improved in the southern Donetsk sector, in addition to frontlines in the Kupyansk sector, the ministry said.
In the Donetsk sector, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 340 troops, a tank and eight trucks, while counterbattery measures hit two 152mm Msta-B howitzers, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, three 122mm D-30 howitzers and three ammo depots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, it said.
In the Avdeyevka sector, a counterattack by an assault group of the 25th Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was repelled near Pervomaiskoye in the DPR, the ministry said, adding that the enemy lost up to 305 troops, two armored combat vehicles, two trucks, and a 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system.
"In the Kupyansk sector, units from the western group of forces improved their frontlines and struck troops and hardware of the enemy near Rozovka, Raigorodok and Zhovtnevoye in the Lugansk People's Republic and Terny in the DPR. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 125 troops and four trucks," the ministry said.
"In the southern Donetsk sector, units from the eastern group of forces improved their tactical position and struck troops and hardware of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade and 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and 128th Territorial Defense Brigade near Vodyanoye, Storozhevoye and Ugledar in the DPR. The enemy lost up to 105 troops, three trucks, a U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, and a 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher," it said.
In the Kherson sector, units from the Dnepr group of forces struck detachments of the 28th Mechanized Brigade and 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Mirnoye and Pyatikhatki in the Zaporozhye region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 35 troops, three trucks, and a Grad multiple rocket launcher, the ministry said.