MOSCOW. June 5 (Interfax) - Russia's northern group of forces has improved its position and repelled seven Ukrainian counterattacks in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Units from the northern group of forces improved their front lines and struck troops and hardware of the 71st Jaeger Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the 120th Territorial Defense Brigade, and the 13th National Guard Brigade near Vesyoloye, Grafskoye and Volchansk in the Kharkov region," the statement said.
Seven counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 82nd Air Assault Brigade and 42nd Mechanized Brigade and the Ukrainian General Staff's 101st Guard Brigade were repelled, it said.
In the northern group of forces' zone of responsibility, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 200 troops, two tanks, two M113 armored personnel carriers and three vehicles, it said.
"In the past 24 hours, counterbattery efforts allowed to hit a U.S.-made M777 howitzer, a German-made 155mm Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery system, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, three 122mm D-30 howitzers, and a 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher. An ammo depot of the 15th Border Unit of the Ukrainian Border Guard Service was destroyed," it said.