"The aircraft of the [Russian] group [of forces] carried out rocket and bomb strikes on three points of temporary deployment, an ammunition depot, as well as areas of concentration of manpower and firepower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Ukrainian troops suffered significant losses in manpower and equipment in the Krasnolymansk direction as a result of Russian artillery strikes.
Meanwhile, in the Svatove direction, Russian troops repelled an attack of Ukraine’s 66th Mechanized Brigade.
"As a result of the fire damage, a tank, an armored combat vehicle and two enemy pickup trucks were destroyed," the Russian defense ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.
On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.
Ukraine launched its long-advertised counteroffensive in early June after multiple postponements. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Ukrainian troops continue to try but are failing to advance along three directions: South Donetsk, Bakhmut and Zaporozhye, the latter being of primary focus.