File image.
The Russian military continues to pressure Kiev forces in Donetsk and Zaporozhye, preventing them from making any meaningful gains in the two directions.
Leader of the movement We Are Together With Russia, Vladimir Rogov, told TASS on September 20 that Kiev forces were forced to retreat from the outskirts of Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk direction.
“There has been success in the Vremevka area. Near Staromayorskoye the Ukrainian troops have in fact retreated from the outskirts of this village, where they had been trying to gain a foothold for a long time. I would even say that the initiative is in our hands in the Vremevka area,” Rogov said.
In the Zaporozhye direction, Kiev forces are also facing strong resistance. According to Rogov, up to 100 Ukrainian troops were killed near the village of Rabotino in the last 24 hours.
“Near Rabotino and Verbovoye, the adversary has engaged a large number of militants and is deploying them to attack; they are trying to break through our first line of defense but are being killed on approach. … Over the past 24 hours, equipment has been eliminated, personnel in large numbers, over 100 Ukrainian militants. And at least seven units of hardware. The adversary is seeing no success,” Rogov said.
Kiev forces are also attempting to attack Novoprokopovka and Ilchenkovo right to the south of Rabotino, according to Rogov.
“The enemy artillery is very powerful. The number of cluster munitions being used has increased incrementally, sometimes even one or two of our soldiers is being hit by several shells or rockets,” hed added.
Ukrainian losses in the Donetsk direction were heavier. Georgy Minesashvili, a spokesman for the Russian Yug Group of Forces, told TASS that at least 250 Ukrainian troops were killed during recent clashes in this direction.
“The battlegroup’s forces, backed by aircraft and artillery units, foiled two attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces to rotate their assault units near Kleshcheyevka and Vesyoloye. In addition, significant losses were inflicted on the enemy in the Andreyevka area. The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 215 troops,” he said.
According to Minesashvili, the group also repelled three Ukrainian attacks close to Soledar, Artyomovsk, Alexandro-Kalinovo and Avdeyevka.
The spokesman added that the group’s aviation carried out a series of airstrikes, destroying two temporary bases, four ammunition depots, ten vehicles, an electronic warfare station and a P-18 radar station.
Kiev forces also lost five American-made M777 howitzers, one American-made AN/TPQ-48 counter-battery radar station, two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, one Giatsint-B towed howitzer and two 120 mm mortars in Soledar, Artyomovsk, Alexandro-Kalinovo, Avdeyevka and Lisichansk.
Minesashvili noted that the group’s air defenses, electronic warfare stations and firearms had downed eight Ukrainian drones near Alexandrovka, Semigorye and Zolotaryovka as well as four HIMARS rockets.
As its forces struggle on the front, the Kiev regime continues to launch attacks against Russian territory. Late on Septmber 19, a suicide drone was shot down by Russian air defense over the Oryol region. A second drone was intercepted over the Belogord region early on September 20. No casualties or material losses were reported after the attacks.
Ukraine launched its counteroffensive more than 15 weeks ago. Kiev forces are yet to break through Russian defenses in any direction, despite sustaining heavy losses in manpower and equiptment.
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