Russian troops liberate seven communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass

MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated seven communities in the Sumy, Kharkov and Zaporozhye Regions and the Donetsk People’s Republic over the week of March 28 - April 3 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday. During the past week, Russia’s Battlegroup North gained control of the settlements of Korchakovka in the Sumy Region and Verkhnyaya Pisarevka in the Kharkov Region while the Battlegroup West took control of the settlements of Brusovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Kovsharovka and Novoosinovo in the Kharkov Region, the ministry reported. Over the past week, Russia’s Battlegroup East liberated the settlements of Lugovskoye and Boikovo in the Zaporozhye Region, it said. Russian troops delivered a massive overnight precision strike on Ukrainian military-industrial and energy sites in response to Kiev’s attacks on civilian facilities, the ministry reported. "Last night, in response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a massive strike by air-launched and ground-based long-range precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles on Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises and their energy facilities," the ministry said. Over the past week, the Russian Armed Forces delivered six combined strikes by precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles, hitting fuel, transport and port infrastructure used to support the Ukrainian army’s operations, military airfields, workshops for the assembly and sites for the preparation of long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicles for launch, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries, the ministry reported. The Ukrainian army lost roughly 8,840 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past week, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry. The latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost over 1,535 troops in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, more than 1,250 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West, over 1,155 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup South, more than 2,545 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Center, over 1,960 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup East and roughly 395 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Dnepr. Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,535 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed eight enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported. Over the week, Battlegroup North units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, two motorized infantry brigades, an airmobile brigade, an artillery brigade of the Ukrainian army, three territorial defense brigades, two National Guard brigades and two border guard detachments of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service," the ministry said. The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,535 personnel, eight armored combat vehicles, 68 motor vehicles, nine field artillery guns and nine electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations in those frontline areas over the week, it specified. In addition, Russian forces destroyed 71 ammunition, fuel and lubricants and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said. Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,250 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and 16 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported. During the past week, Battlegroup West units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of five mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, a guard brigade of Ukraine’s General Staff, two territorial defense brigades and a National Guard brigade," the ministry said. The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,250 personnel, two tanks, 16 armored combat vehicles, 152 motor vehicles, 17 field artillery guns and two counterbattery radar stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified. In addition, Russian forces destroyed 13 ammunition and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said. Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 1,155 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and 22 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported. The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,155 personnel, two tanks, 22 armored combat vehicles, 93 motor vehicles, 25 field artillery guns and eight electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified. In addition, Russian forces destroyed 53 ammunition, fuel and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said. Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 2,545 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy tanks and 68 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported. The Ukrainian army lost more than 2,545 personnel, four tanks, including a US-made Abrams tank, 68 armored combat vehicles, 106 motor vehicles, 10 field artillery guns and 11 electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified. Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 1,960 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 12 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported. The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,960 personnel, 12 armored combat vehicles, 54 motor vehicles and seven artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified. In addition, Russian forces destroyed seven ammunition and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said. Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 395 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed five enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported. The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 395 personnel, five armored combat vehicles, 94 motor vehicles, a field artillery gun and 17 electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified. In addition, Russian forces destroyed 14 ammunition, fuel and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet destroyed a Ukrainian naval drone and a submersible vehicle over the past week, the ministry reported. "During the week, the Black Sea Fleet’s forces destroyed an unmanned boat and an autonomous submersible vehicle of the Ukrainian army," the ministry said. Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 2,354 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 57 smart bombs over the week, the ministry reported. "Air defense capabilities shot down 57 guided aerial bombs, three rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, four Flamingo long-range cruise missiles, three Neptune long-range missiles and 2,354 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said. Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 671 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 284 helicopters, 130,717 unmanned aerial vehicles, 653 surface-to-air missile systems, 28,664 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,694 multiple rocket launchers, 34,255 field artillery guns and mortars and 58,505 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.