WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia says it has taken Pobieda village in Donetsk region, Ukraine reports fighting

Russian troops have taken the village of Pobieda in Ukraine's Donetsk region, the Russian defence ministry said on Thursday, but the Ukrainian military said its forces were repelling dozens of attacks in the area.

Pobieda is a village south of Maryinka, a town that has been all but levelled by months of clashes.

Russia's defence ministry said it had taken Pobieda and improved its position in several other areas of the Donetsk region.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, in its evening report on Facebook, said its troops "continue to contain the enemy" around Pobieda and a nearby village, Novomykhailivka.

"The enemy, with the support of aviation, attempted to breach our troops' defences 31 times," the report said.

A widely read Ukrainian military blog, DeepState, reported that Russian forces had occupied Pobieda and were advancing on two other villages.

Reuters could not independently verify battlefield reports from either side.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainian military loses 410 troops near Donetsk in 24 hours — Russian Defense Ministry

The total losses of Ukraine’s military near Donetsk over the past day exceeded 410 men, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

Here are the details of this and other combat actions that happened over the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry report.

Donetsk Area

"The Battlegroup South inflicted damage on Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade, 79th Airborne Assault Brigade, and 46th Aeromobile Brigade in the areas of Novomikhailovka and Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the Defense Ministry said

"Ukraine’s losses totaled over 410 troops, 1 tank, 3 armored combat vehicles, 5 other vehicles, self-propelled artillery pieces Krab, of Polish manufacture, and Bogdana howitzer, D-20 howitzer, and self-propelled howitzer Gvozdika," it added.

The Russian armed forces has liberated the Pobeda settlement in the Donetsk area and improved the positions along the line of engagement, the Defense Ministry said.

"In the Donetsk area, Russia’s battlegroup South has liberated the Pobeda settlement and improved the positions along the front line," the Ministry said.

Southern Donetsk Area

Russian forces struck two Ukrainian army brigades in the south Donetsk area, destroying roughly 155 enemy troops and a tank over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"In the south Donetsk direction, units of the Battlegroup East conducted active operations and inflicted damage by firepower on the Ukrainian army’s 58th mechanized and 128th territorial defense brigades near the settlements of Novodonetskoye and Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the Ministry said in a statement.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the south Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 155 personnel, two armored fighting vehicles, a combat vehicle of Strela-10 surface-to-air missile system, three motor vehicles, a Msta-B howitzer, an M-46 towed gun and an electronic warfare station, the Ministry specified.

Avdeyevka Area

In the past 24 hours, the Russian Armed Forces advanced their forward positions and repelled nine Ukrainian attacks and counterattacks in the Avdeyevka area, the Defense Ministry reported, adding that the enemy lost up to 145 servicemen.

"On Avdeyevka direction, forces of Battlegroup Center occupied more advantageous positions and inflicted damage to personnel and vehicles of 53 Mechanized, 3rd Assault, 107th and 116th territorial defense brigades near settlements of Orlovka and Tonenkoye, DPR. Nine attacks and counterattacks were repelled near settlements of Novgorodskoye, Leninskoye, Berdychi, Lastochkino and Pervomayskoye, DPR," the Ministry said.

The enemy lost "up to 145 troops, 5 BMP armored vehicles, two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, 26 automobile vehicles and a US-made M777 artillery system," the report says.

Kupyansk Area

The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 30 servicemen in the Kupyansk area over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry reported.

"In the Kupyansk area, Russia’s battlegroup West inflicted a fire defeat on the manpower and equipment of the 10th Ukrainian mountain assault brigade, 14th mechanized brigade near Petropavlovka in the Kharkov Region. In addition, three attacks of the 57th Ukrainian motorized infantry brigade were repulsed near Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region. The enemy lost up to 30 servicemen, two armored personnel carriers and three vehicles," the Ministry said, adding that Russian forces also destroyed the enemy’s M777 artillery system, a US-made M198 howitzer, a Hyacinth-S gun and a Gvozdika howitzer.

Kherson Area

The Ukrainian armed forces have lost up to 50 troops, as well as two tanks and an M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery gun in the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said.

"In the Kherson area, units of battlegroup Dnepr, acting in coordination, fired for effect hitting manpower and military hardware of the 28th Mechanized Brigade, the 35th Marine Brigade and the 121st Territorial Defense Brigade near the settlements of Shcherbaki in the Zaporozhye Region, as well as Ivanovka and Mikhailovka in the Kherson Region," the Ministry said.

In addition, three enemy attacks were repelled near Rabotino settlement in the Zaporozhye Region, it added. Ukraine’s losses amounted to up to 50 servicemen, two tanks, two armored combat vehicles and seven vehicles. A US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery gun, an Msta-B howitzer, and a Gvozdika motorized artillery system were hit in counterbattery activities, the Ministry reported.

Destroyed equipment tally

The Russian army over the past 24 hours has hit a launcher and a transportation and loading vehicle of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, the Ministry said.

"Tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile units and artillery have hit a launcher and a transportation and loading vehicle of anti-aircraft missile system Patriot of US manufacture, as well as manpower and materiel the Ukrainian army in 114 areas," the news release reads.

Russian air defense forces shot down an S-200 surface-to-air missile converted for striking ground targets and 95 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Ministry reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities shot down an S-200 surface-to-air missile converted for striking ground targets, eight rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and a JDAM air guided bomb," the Ministry stated.

In addition, they destroyed 95 unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Chervonopopovka, Golikovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Staromlynovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Verbovoye, Novofyodorovka, Tokmak in the Zaporozhye Region and Novaya Mayachka in the Kherson Region, the Ministry specified.

Reuters/Tass