"In the south Donetsk direction, the advanced units of the Vostok group of forces repelled an enemy attack in the Makarovka area. A tank, armored combat vehicles and manpower were destroyed. Having suffered losses, the enemy retreated," the spokesperson said.
In the Zaporozhye direction, another Ukrainian attack was repelled and the enemy retreated having suffered losses in manpower and equipment, the spokesperson added.
In the South Donetsk direction, Russian forces have also destroyed over 50 Ukrainian militants and seven armored vehicles, the defense ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.
On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.
The situation involving the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) and its head Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia will not affect the progress of Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.