The Russian army repelled six attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donetsk and South Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, with Kiev losing up to 350 servicepeople, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
"In the South Donetsk direction, three attacks by assault groups of the 35th and 36th brigades of the Ukrainian marines in the areas of Staromaiorskoe of the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR] and Priytnoe of the Zaporozhye Region were repelled during the day by courageous actions of the units of the Vostok group of forces in cooperation with aviation and artillery," the ministry said.
In the Donetsk direction, the units of the Southern group of forces, together with aviation and artillery, repulsed three attacks of assault groups of the 53rd motorized infantry brigade and the 79th airborne assault brigade of the Ukrainian army near the Russian-controlled village of Marinka in the DPR, the ministry said. Kiev has lost up to 180 servicepeople, the ministry added.
Russian aviation and artillery have also hit the shops of the Kharkov armored plant, where Ukrainian tanks were being repaired, as well as Ukrainian command and observation posts were located, the ministry said.
At the same time, in the Zaporozhye direction, Russian units repelled an attack by an assault group of the 47th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces near the Russian-controlled village of Robotynoe, causing Kiev to lose up to 140 servicepeople, a US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and four vehicles, the ministry said.
In addition, Russian air defense systems shot down 28 Ukrainian drones, two JDAM aerial bombs, one HARM shell and one HIMARS missile over the past 24 hours, the defense ministry said.
Since February 24, 2022 Russia has been conducting a special military operation in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin said that the operation aims is to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." According to the Russian President, the ultimate goal of the operation is to liberate Donbas and create conditions that guarantee country's safety.