The ministry said more than 535 Ukrainian service members and military equipment were destroyed in a day. The figures were not independently verified.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the Centre group improved its tactical positions and inflicted losses on Ukrainian forces over a 24-hour period. The ministry claimed that losses of more than 535 service members, one armoured fighting vehicle, 12 cars and an electronic warfare station were destroyed.
The statement said strikes hit units from several Ukrainian military and National Guard brigades near settlements in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. It did not name the settlements in the report cited by RIA Novosti.
RIA Novosti carried the Defence Ministry’s account. The casualty and equipment figures have not been independently verified in the available reports.