The settlement of Novopokrovskoye has been liberated from the Ukrainian military, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said
FILE PHOTO: A Russian serviceman of the Central military district prepares to fire a machine gun at an air target amid Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, at an unknown location, in Russia. © Sputnik/Evgeny Biyatov
The settlement of Novopokrovskoye in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) has been “liberated,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday. Another village was also captured from the Ukrainian military in Kharkov Region, it added.
Novopokrovskoye was taken under control thanks to “the active actions” of the Center group of forces, the statement read. The development allows the Russian military to “improve its tactical position” in the area, it added.
The village is located in the Yasinovatsky district of the DPR, northwest of the regional capital of Donetsk.
Elsewhere in the DRP, fighting continued in the area of the settlements of Chasov Yar, Toretsk and Urozhaynoye, the statement reads. Over the past 24 hours, the units of the Center, South and East groups of forces inflicted losses of up to 1,045 troops on the Ukrainian military, according to the ministry. Several dozen pieces of hardware were also destroyed, including a US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, a MaxxPro armored vehicle, and two M777 howitzers.
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In Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, the “successful actions” of the West group of forces led to the capture of the Stepovaya Novoselovka village, near the strategic town of Kupyansk, the ministry said. The takeover of the settlement allowed the Russian troops to further improve their position in the area, it added.
Moscow launched its operation in the northeastern Kharkov Region in early May in response to frequent cross-border strikes by Kiev on civilian targets in Russia’s Belgorod Region. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal of the offensive is to establish a buffer zone that would make further Ukrainian attacks impossible.
Elsewhere in Kharkov Region, the units of the North group of forces inflicted personnel and equipment losses on the Ukrainian military near the settlements of Volchansk, Tikhoe, Goptovka, Neskuchnoye, Zhovtnevoe and Liptsy, the ministry said.
According to the statement, Kiev’s losses amounted to 320 troops, an armored personnel carrier, seven passenger vehicles, and four artillery pieces, including two US-supplied M777 howitzers. A field ammunition depot and three American- and Israeli-made counter-battery radar stations used by Ukraine were also destroyed in the area, it added.
On Sunday, the Defense Ministry announced the liberation of the villages of Spornoe and Novoaleksandrovka, also in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
In February, Russian forces captured the town of Avdeevka, a major Ukrainian stronghold near Donetsk, significantly reducing the ability of Kiev troops to shell the city.
Moscow’s forces have since then been steadily advancing in the DPR and other areas, including in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, taking a number of settlements under control.
Russia’s Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said last month that thanks to “the courage, dedication and professional work” of the Russian troops “we have the initiative along the entire front line, [and are] consistently degrading the enemy’s combat potential.”