MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) - Russia's central and eastern groups of forces have taken control of Novoukrainka, Shakhtyorskoye and Leonidovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"As a result of resolute operations, units from the eastern group of forces have taken control of Dobrovolye, Novoukrainka, Shakhtyorskoye and Yasnaya Polyana in the DPR over the week," the ministry said.
Seven Ukrainian brigades were hit, and the Ukrainian army lost up to 840 troops, three tanks, eight armored combat vehicles, 50 trucks and 15 artillery systems over the week, it said.
"Over the week, units from the central group of forces kept moving deeper into enemy defense lines and took control of Selidovo, Gornyak, Tsukurino, Leonidovka and Izmailovka in the DPR," the ministry said.
Russian forces repelled 72 Ukrainian attacks and hit troops and hardware of 19 Ukrainian brigades over the past week, it said.
"Ukrainian armed formations lost up to 3,840 troops, 20 armored combat vehicles, including two Swedish-made Viking armored personnel carriers, 23 trucks, and 33 artillery systems within the last week," the ministry said.
In that period, units from the western group of forces repelled 35 Ukrainian counterattacks, hit positions of 12 Ukrainian brigades, and took control of Kruglyakovka in the Kharkov region, it said.
The Ukrainian army lost over 3,620 troops, six armored personnel carriers, 16 armored combat vehicles, 31 trucks, 26 artillery systems, 12 EW stations and counterbattery radars, and 16 field ammo depots, it said.
"As a result of active operations, units from the southern group of forces took control of Alexadropol and Katerinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
Detachments of 16 Ukrainian brigades were hit, and ten counterattacks by assault units were repelled, it said.
In the group's zone of responsibility, the Ukrainian army lost over 5,390 troops, two tanks, two armored personnel carriers, eight armored combat vehicles, 51 trucks, a HIMARS launcher, 32 artillery systems, six EW stations, and 14 field ammo depots, the ministry said.
"Units from the Dnepr group of forces hit troops and hardware of two mechanized brigades, an infantry brigade, and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as a marine brigade and five territorial defense brigades," the ministry said.
Over the past week, the Ukrainian army lost up to 500 troops, 27 trucks, 11 artillery systems, 11 EW stations and counterbattery radars, and six field ammo depots, it said.