MOSCOW. June 2 (Interfax) - Russian forces have struck Ukrainian positions in the Sumy region and have improved their positions in the special military operation zone, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
"Units from the northern group of forces have struck concentrations of troops and hardware of two mechanized brigades, two air assault brigades, a jaeger brigade and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in addition to three territorial defense brigades near Novaya Sech, Yunakovka, Sadki, Ryzhevka, Korchakovka, Pisarevka, Khrapovshchina and Iskriskovshchina in the Sumy region," the ministry said.
Ukrainian forces lost more than 245 troops, two tanks, an armored combat vehicle, 15 vehicles and five artillery systems in the fighting, it said.
Meanwhile, Russian groups of forces operating in the special military operation zone have improved their positions in the past 24 hours, the ministry said.
"Units from the western group of forces took better lines and positions and hit detachments of four mechanized brigades and an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in addition to two territorial defense brigades near Kupyansk, Petrovka and Novy Mir in the Kharkov region and Volchy Yar, Yampol, Krasny Liman and Torskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic," it said.
There, Ukrainian forces lost over 205 troops, two tanks, three armored combat vehicles, 13 vehicles, and two artillery systems. Two ammo depots were destroyed, the ministry said.
Units from the southern group of forces improved their frontlines and hit troops and hardware of three mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, and an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade near Nikiforovka, Seversk, Zvanovka, Serebryanka, Kleban Byk, Chasov Yar, Shcherbinovka, Zarya, Pleshcheyevka and Reznikovka in the DPR. Ukrainian forces lost more than 275 troops, five armored combat vehicles, ten vehicles, an artillery system and five ammo depots, the ministry said.
"Units from the central group of forces moved deeper into enemy defense lines and struck detachments of a heavy mechanized brigade, three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade and an air assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, alongside two territorial defense brigades and two National Guard brigades near Novoekonomicheskoye, Novotoretskoye, Poltavka, Yablonovka, Novonikolayevka, Popov Yar, Rusin Yar, Petrovskoye and Alekseyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
In that sector, Ukrainian forces lost up to 475 troops, five armored combat vehicles, including three M113 armored personnel carriers, seven vehicles, and three artillery systems, it said.
Units from the eastern group of forces improved their tactical position and struck troops and hardware of two mechanized brigades and an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a marine brigade and two territorial defense brigades near Komar, Fyodorovka, Zaporozhye and Poddubnoye in the DPR and Temirovka in the Zaporozhye region. Ukrainian forces lost more than 150 troops, two armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, two artillery systems and two EW stations, the ministry said.
"Over the past day, units from the Dnepr group of forces struck detachments of a mechanized brigade and two coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Novodanilovka, Kamenskoye, Stepovoye and Stepnogorsk in the Zaporozhye region and Nikolskoye and Ponyatovka in the Kherson region," it said.
In that sector, Ukrainian forces lost more than 80 troops, nine vehicles, four artillery systems, three EW stations and counterbattery radars, and three ammo depots, the ministry said.