MOSCOW. Sept 30 (Interfax) - The western and eastern groups of forces have improved their position and the southern group has taken better lines, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"Units from the western group of forces have improved their frontlines and struck troops and hardware of the 14th, 44th, 53rd and 63rd Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade, and the First National Guard Brigade near Berestovoye in the Kharkov region, Nevskoye and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People's Republic, and Serebryanka and Torskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
The group repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the 14th and 116th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, it said.
The Ukrainian army lost up to 425 troops, a tank, five trucks, five howitzers and two Anklav-N EW stations, and five ammo depots were destroyed, the ministry said.
The eastern group of forces improved its tactical position, and the southern group of forces took better lines, it said.
"Units from the southern group of forces took better lines and struck detachments of the 24th, 30th, 54th and 72nd Mechanized Brigades, the 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade, the 143rd Infantry Brigade and the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 119th Territorial Defense Brigade near Konstantinovka, Fyodorovka, Zaliznyanskoye, Maiskoye, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Druzhkovka and Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
The group repelled a counterattack by a unit of the 5th Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, it said.
In that area, the Ukrainian army lost up to 560 troops, a tank, eight trucks, seven howitzers, and a Nota EW station, the ministry said.
"Units from the eastern group of forces improved their tactical position and struck troops and hardware of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade and the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade near Dobrovolye, Zolotaya Niva and Rovnopol in the Donetsk People's Republic," it said.
According to the ministry, the eastern group of forces repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In that area, the Ukrainian army lost up to 120 troops, an infantry vehicle, eight trucks, and a howitzer. Two ammo depots were destroyed, it said.
"Units from the northern group of forces, operating in the Liptsy and Volchansk sectors, struck detachments of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the 36th Marine Brigade, and the 113th Territorial Brigade near Liptsy, Volchansk and Volchanskiye Khutora in the Kharkov region," the ministry said.
In that area, the Ukrainian army lost up to 75 troops, an infantry vehicle, and nine trucks, the ministry said.
"Units from the Dnepr group of forces hit detachments of the 35th Marine Brigade, the 39th Coastal Defense Brigade, and the 108th and 124th Territorial Defense Brigade near Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye region, Antonovka in the Kherson region, and Kherson," it said.
In that sector, the Ukrainian army lost up to 85 troops, ten trucks, a howitzer, and an Anklav-N EW station, the ministry said.