The Russian troops are carrying out high-precision strikes against units and reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said during the briefing in Moscow on Sunday.
“As a result of the strikes, the personnel and military equipment of the units of the 14th and 92nd Mechanised Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Staroverovka, Chuguev and Volosskaya Balakleya, the 113th Territorial Defence Brigade in the settlement of Novaya Vodolaga, as well as a foreign mercenaries’ deployment site near the settlement of Klugino-Bashkirovka were hit.,” Konashenkov said.
According to the Defence Ministry spokesperson, Ukrainian side lost 200 servicemen and 20 pieces of military equipment in this direction.
Konashenkov also said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces “destabilise the situation” in the territory controlled by Russian Armed Forces.
“The Kiev regime continues its deliberate shelling of energy infrastructure, namely generation facilities, transformer substations, and power transmission lines,” the Defence Ministry spokesman reported.
On Saturday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Kiev has ‘regained control of about 2,000 kilometres’ of the country’s territory ‘as part of active actions since the beginning of September’. According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are now fully controlling the city of Balakleya.
On the same day Konashenkov announced the Russian command’s decision to redeploy Russian Armed Forces troops stationed in the areas of Balakleya and Izum ‘in order to reinforce Donetsk direction’.
The Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson added that ‘various diversionary and demonstrative manoeuvres had been carried out marking real action of the troops during mentioned operation’.
“Over 2,000 Ukrainian and foreign militants, as well as more than 100 units of armoured equipment and artillery have been eliminated within 72 hours,” Konashenkov concluded.
On September 2 Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoygu claimed Ukraine was trying to launch a counteroffensive in the south of the country in order to ‘create an illusion in the Western handlers that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are capable of conducting an offensive’.
Moscow launched the military offensive on Ukraine in late February after recognising the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics’ independence (DPR and LPR).
Kiev denounced the Russian action and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation.
During peace talks, Russia called for Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral, providing guarantees that it will never join NATO.
