Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has checked the frontline command post of the Zapad Group of Forces and has ordered commanders to continue reconnaissance to uncover and suppress enemy plans, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"In the course of work in the special military operation zone, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergey Shoigu, checked the forward command post of one of the formations of the Zapad Group of Forces. At the command post, the head of the Russian military department heard a report… on the current situation, the nature of the enemy’s actions and the performance of combat missions by Russian troops in the main tactical directions," the Defense Ministry said.
Shoigu highlighted the efficiency of identifying and destroying military equipment and concentrations of enemy personnel in the tactical areas of the Zapad formation’s area of responsibility.
"The commanders of the Zapad Group of Forces were tasked with continuing active reconnaissance in order to reveal the enemy's plans in advance and prevent their implementation on the distant approaches to the line of contact," the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Earlier on Monday, Russian forces prevented the advance of three assault groups of Ukrainian troops north of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) and dispersed them with mortar fire, according to a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson's statement to Sputnik.
"Subdivisions of the Yug Group of Forces have discovered the advance of three enemy assault groups in the direction of Berkhivka. Mortar fire dispersed the advancing enemy forces," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the assault actions of the Ukrainian military were also stopped near six other villages.
The Russian military also targeted Ukrainian infantry using a "Solntsepek" (Blazing Sun) thermobaric rocket launcher in the Artemovsk area.