MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax) - Russian forces have improved their frontline position, taken more advantageous locations, and improved their tactical standing in four sectors of the special military operation zone, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
"Owing to active moves, units of the western group of forces improved their frontline position and caused damage to personnel and hardware of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 14th Mechanized Brigade and the 77th Air Mobile Brigade near Sinkovka in the Kharkov region and near Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People's Republic," it said.
The southern and eastern groups of forces took more advantageous locations, and the central group of forces improved its tactical standing, the ministry said.
In the western group of forces' operational sector, Ukraine lost up to 335 troops, one Leopard-1 tank, an M113 armored personnel carrier, three armored fighting vehicles, and three automobiles, the ministry said.
A 155mm M777 howitzer, a 122mm D-30 howitzer, a 105mm L-119 howitzer, two electronic warfare stations, and two AN/TPQ-36 weapon locating radar stations were struck in the course of counterbattery engagements, the ministry said.
Units of the southern group of forces occupied more advantageous locations and caused fire damage to Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and hardware near Grigorovka, Kleshcheyevka, Razdolovka, Krasnoye, and Vesyoloye in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the ministry said.
Ukraine's losses amounted to up to 600 troops, one tank, three armored fighting vehicles, ten automobiles, two 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer, a 100mm MT-12 gun, and an AN/TPQ-36 weapon locating radar, it said.
Owing to successful moves, units of the central group of forces improved their tactical standing and caused damage to Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and hardware near Leninskoye, Novokalinovo, Semyonovka, and Solovyovo in the DPR and repelled a counterattack by an assault group from the Ukrainian 100th Mechanized Brigade near Ocheretino in the DPR, the ministry said.
Ukraine lost up to 395 troops, one Abrams tank, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, two armored fighting vehicles, four automobiles, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, a 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and four 122mm D-30 howitzers, it said.
Units of the eastern group of forces occupied more advantageous locations and caused damage to Ukrainian Armed Forces formations near Vodyanoye, Makarovka, and Prechistovka in the DPR and repelled a counterattack by an assault group from the 123rd Ukrainian Territorial Defense Brigade near Staromayorskoye in the DPR, the ministry said.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 170 troops, two tanks, two armored personnel carriers, seven automobiles, a 155mm M198 howitzer, and a 152mm D-20 howitzer, it said.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces caused fire damage to concentrations of personnel and hardware near Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye region, where Ukraine lost up to 40 troops, three automobiles, and two U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzers, it said.