MOSCOW. Jan 15 (Interfax) - Russian forces have taken control of the Ukrainka village in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"As a result of successful offensive actions, units from the central group of forces have taken control of the Ukrainka village in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
The central group of forces hit troops and hardware of six Ukrainian mechanized brigades, a territorial defense brigade, two National Guard brigades, and an International Legion detachment near Shcherbinovka, Shevchenko, Dzerzhinsk, Slavyanka, Novovasilevka, Tarasovka, Baranovka, Vozdvizhenka, Petrovka, Lysovka, Petropavlovka and Novoelizavetovka in the DPR, the ministry said.
In that sector, Ukrainian forces lost over 560 troops, a Leopard tank, four armored combat vehicles, six trucks, and six artillery systems, it said.
"Units from the western group of forces improved their frontlines and hit troops and hardware of three mechanized brigades, a tank brigade, and two territorial defense brigades near Dvurechnaya, Zapadnoye, Zagoruikovka, Podoly, Petropavlovka, Zagryzovo and Lozovaya in the Kharkov region, as well as Ivanovka and Torskoye," the ministry said.
In the western group of forces' zone of operations, Ukrainian troops lost more than 460 troops, two U.S.-made M113 armored personnel carriers, 13 pickup trucks, and five artillery systems. Two ammo depots and an electronic warfare station were destroyed, it said.
"Units from the southern group of forces took better lines and positions and hit detachments of three mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Zvanovka, Slavyansk, Nikolayevka, Seversk, Yantarnoye, Verkhnekamenskoye, Pereyezdnoye, Dachnoye, Sukhiye Yaly and Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
There, Ukrainian forces lost up to 230 troops, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, and four artillery systems. An ammo depot was destroyed, it said.
"Units from the eastern group of forces kept moving deeper into enemy defense lines and hit detachments of three mechanized brigades and an air assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Konstantinopol, Novy Komar, Novosyolka, Razliv and Vremevka in the DPR," the ministry said.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces lost up to 200 troops, two armored combat vehicles, eight trucks, a 155mm self-propelled artillery system, and an ammo depot.
Units from the northern group of forces operating in the Kharkov sector struck detachments of a Ukrainian motorized infantry brigade near Dergachi, Tsirkuny and Volchansk. There, Ukrainian forces lost up to 30 troops, six trucks, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, three artillery systems, including a U.S.-made Paladin self-propelled artillery system, and two ammo depots, the ministry said.
Units from the Dnepr group of forces hit troops and hardware of a Ukrainian mechanized brigade, two coastal defense brigades, a territorial defense brigade and a National Guard brigade near Shcherbaki, Blakitnoye, Orekhov and Novopokrovka in the Zaporozhye region, and Dneprovskoye, Antonovka, Nikolskoye and Ivanovka in the Kherson region. There, Ukrainian forces lost up to 95 troops, 13 trucks, and two artillery systems, it said.