MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) - Russia's central group of forces has moved deeper into Ukrainian lines and repelled ten Ukrainian counterattacks in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Units from the central group of forces continued to move deeper into enemy lines and hit detachments of the 53rd, 59th, 96th, 118th and 151st Mechanized Brigades and the 78th Air Assault Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 119th Territorial Defense Brigade near Shcherbinovka, Krasnoarmeisk, Petrovka, Mirolyubovka, Rozovka, Kurdyumovka, Kurakhovo, Selidovo and Dimitrov in the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR]," the ministry said.
Ten Ukrainian counterattacks were repelled in that area, it said.
The enemy lost more than 500 troops, a Marder infantry vehicle, two Kozak armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, and three artillery systems, it said.
Units of the northern group of forces operating in the Liptsy and Volchansk sectors hit detachments of three Ukrainian brigades near Volchansk in the Kharkov region. The Ukrainian army lost more than 170 troops and an AN/TPQ-50 counter-mortar radar, it said.
Units from the western group of forces improved their tactical position and hit troops and hardware of five Ukrainian brigades near Petropavlovka and Glushkovka in the Kharkov region, Zhovtnevoye in the LPR, and in the Serebryanskoye forest area. Four counterattacks by enemy assault groups were repelled, and the Ukrainian army lost up to 610 troops, a Kozak armored combat vehicle, a M113 armored personnel carrier, nine trucks, five artillery systems, and four Anklav-N EW stations. Four field ammo depots were destroyed, it said.
The southern group of forces took better positions and hit detachments of eight Ukrainian brigades near Kalinina, Chasov Yar, Minkovka, Grigorovka, Seversk, Dyleyevka, Predtechino and Yelizavetovka in the DPR. Two counterattacks by enemy assault groups were repelled, and the Ukrainian army lost up to 640 troops, eight trucks, three artillery systems, and an EW station, it said.
Units from the eastern group of forces took better lines and positions and struck detachments of three Ukrainian brigades near Ugledar, Dobrovolye, Shakhterskoye and Zolotaya Niva in the DPR. A counterattack by an assault group was repelled, and the enemy lost over 100 troops, an infantry vehicle, and five trucks, it said.
Units from the Dnepr group of forces hit concentrations of troops and hardware of five Ukrainian brigades near Belogorye and Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye region and Tokarevka, Kamyshany and Lvovo in the Kherson region. The Ukrainian army lost up to 40 troops, three trucks, and an ammo depot, it said.