MOSCOW. May 13 (Interfax) - The western group of forces has taken better positions and repelled 13 counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, while another seven counterattacks have been repelled by the central group of forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"Units from the western group of forces have taken better positions and struck detachments of the 63rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade near Kirovsk and Torskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR]," the ministry said.
The group repelled 13 Ukrainian counterattacks near Kislovka in the Kharkov region and Nevskoye, Novoyegorovka, Makeyevka and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), it said.
The Ukrainian army lost up to 80 troops, two infantry vehicles, three pickup trucks, two 152mm Msta-B howitzers, and a 152mm Giatsint-S gun, the ministry said.
"Seven counterattacks by units from the Ukrainian 92nd Assault Brigade, 142nd Infantry Brigade, 68th and 71st Jaeger brigades, and 110th Mechanized Brigade were repelled near Shumy, Ocheretino and Netailovo in the DPR, it said.
In turn, units from the central group of forces improved their tactical position and hit Ukrainian positions near Novosyolovka Pervaya, Katerinovka and Novopokrovskoye in the DPR, the ministry said.
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 395 troops, three armored combat vehicles, six trucks, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer, and the 122mm launcher of a Croatian-made RAK-SA-12 multiple rocket system," it said.
"Units from the southern group of forces improved their front lines and hit troops and hardware of the Ukrainian 79th Air Assault Brigade and 81st Airmobile Brigade near Kleshcheyevka, Antonovka and Grigorovka in the DPR," the ministry said.
"Three counterattacks by assault groups from the Ukrainian 10th Mountain Assault Brigade and the 41st Mechanized Brigade were repelled near Spornoye and Razdolovka in the DPR over the day," it said.
There, the Ukrainian army lost up to 540 troops, two tanks including a Leopard-2A1, two armored combat vehicles, 11 trucks, a 155mm M777 howitzer, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, a 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, a 105mm M119 gun, and a 105mm Melara Mod 56 howitzer, the ministry said.
"Units from the eastern group of forces took better positions and struck troops and hardware of the 21st Ukrainian National Guard Brigade near Velikaya Novosyolka in the DPR," it said.
According to the ministry, the Ukrainian army lost up to 135 troops, one tank, five trucks, a 155mm M777 howitzer, a 155mm AS-90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, a 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and a 100mm Rapira anti-tank gun.
"Units from the Dnepr group of forces hit detachments of the 65th Mechanized Brigade and the 35th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 121st Territorial Defense Brigade near Orekhov in the Zaporozhye region and Ivanovka, Tyaginka and Zolotaya Balka in the Kherson region," the ministry said.