MOSCOW. Nov 21 (Interfax) - Russia's central group of forces continued to move deeper into enemy lines, repelling 11 counterattacks mounted by the Ukrainian army, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"Units of the central group of forces continued to move deeper into enemy lines and delivered strikes on troops and hardware of the 100th Mechanized Brigade, the 68th Infantry Brigade and the 425th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the 38th Marine Brigade, the 2nd and 14th National Guard Brigade, and the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade near Grodovka, Sukhoi Yar, Dachenskoye, Ulyanovka, Dimitrov and Pravdovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The central group of forces also repelled 11 counterattacks launched by assault groups of the Ukrainian army's 117th and 151st Mechanized Brigades and 68th Jaeger Brigade, the 35th Marine Brigade and the Lyut Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian National police, it said.
The Ukrainian army's losses in this sector included more than 385 troops, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and an M113 armored personnel carrier supplied by the U.S., an armored fighting vehicle, two automobiles, five howitzers, and a Rapira anti-tank gun, the statement said.
"Units of the western group of forces improved their tactical positions, striking troops and hardware of the 28th, 63rd and 116th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 119th Territorial Defense Brigade near Kupyansk, Zagryzovo and Glushkovka in the Kharkov region and Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic," it said.
In addition, the western group of forces repelled five counterattacks staged by the Ukrainian army's 14th and 115th Mechanized Brigades and the 119th Territorial Defense Brigade, the statement said.
The Ukrainian army lost up to 480 troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, one armored fighting vehicles, six automobiles and six howitzers in the area, it said. An Anklav-N electronic warfare station and four field ammunition depots were also destroyed.
"Units of the eastern group of forces took more advantageous lines and positions and struck troops of the 33rd Mechanized Brigade and the 71st Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 130th Territorial Defense Brigade near Zelyonoye Pole, Ulakly and Novosyolka in the Donetsk People's Republic. A counterattack mounted by the 36th Marine Brigade was repelled," the statement said.
The Ukrainian army's losses in the area stood at up to 154 troops, a tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, a U.S.-made M113 armored personnel carrier, three automobiles, and a howitzer, it said.
In the Kharkov sector, the Russian northern group of forces struck troops of the 116th Territorial Defense Brigade and the 5th Border Detachment of Ukraine's Border Service near Lebedevka and Kazachya Lopan in the Kharkov region, the statement said.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 145 troops, two tanks, 11 armored fighting vehicles and a howitzer in the sector, it said.
Meanwhile, Russia's Dnepr group of forces delivered strikes on troops and military hardware of the Ukrainian army's 31st Mechanized Brigade and 141st Infantry Brigade and the 118th and 126th Territorial Defense Brigades near Novoandreyevka and Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye region and Burgunka and Nikolskoye in the Kherson region, the ministry said. The Ukrainian army lost up to 85 troops, nine automobiles and a howitzer in the sector. A field ammunition depot was also destroyed.