MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax) - The Russian central group of forces is moving deeper into Ukrainian defense lines, and the southern group is on the offensive, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Units from the central group of forces continued their offensive into enemy defense lines and struck detachments of four mechanized brigades, an air assault brigade and a jaeger brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, alongside two marine brigades and two territorial defense brigades near Novoekonomicheskoye, Yablonovka, Muravka, Petrovskoye, Stepanovka, Nikanorovka and Novopavlovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," it said.
Ukrainian forces lost up to 425 troops, two armored combat vehicles, three vehicles and three artillery systems over the day, it said.
In turn, units from the southern group of forces continued their offensive, the ministry said.
In the past 24 hours, the southern group struck troops and hardware of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade and a motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in addition to a territorial defense brigade near Pleshcheyevka, Seversk, Ivanopolye, Novosyolovka and Dronovka in the DPR, it said.
"The enemy lost up to 160 troops, two vehicles and three artillery systems. Three ammo depots and a fuel depot were destroyed," the ministry said.
"Units from the western group of forces improved their frontlines and struck detachments of two mechanized brigades and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces besides a territorial defense brigade near Boguslavka, Petrovka, Kupyansk and Druzhelyubovka in the Kharkov region," it said.
There, Ukrainian forces lost over 220 troops, 19 vehicles and two artillery systems over the day. Two EW stations and five ammo depots were destroyed, the ministry said.
"Units from the northern group of forces improved their tactical position and struck troops and hardware of two mechanized brigades, an air assault brigade, an assault regiment, and an air assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Kondratovka, Bititsa and Varachino in the Sumy region," it said.
In the Kharkov sector, units of a Ukrainian motorized infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade were struck near Volchansk and Chugunovka in the Kharkov region, it said.
In that sector, Ukrainian forces lost up to 180 troops, three armored combat vehicles, four vehicles and three artillery systems over the day. Four supplies depots were destroyed, the ministry said.