LUGANSK, June 24. /TASS/. The Ukrainian troops left a considerable amount of military equipment and ammunition behind when they were fleeing Zolotoye, Toshkovka and Gorskoye, Vitaly Kiselev, an aide to the Interior Minister of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), told TASS on Friday.
"Zolotoye, Toshkovka and Gorskoye. The allied forces have dislodged [Ukrainian troops] from there. The Ukrainian troops fled. They did not simply flee, but they left their flak jackets and military equipment behind, as most of the [vehicles] would not start, as there was no fuel. They also dropped a big amount of ammunition and food," Kiselev said.
"A large number of [Ukrainian troops] were captured. Many surrendered, claiming that they had only been there for two days. It is the same old story. They would say that they are cooks, artisans or fitters. In fact, those are blatant lies and complete nonsense," added.
On Friday evening, the LPR militia posted a video from Gorskoye on its Telegram channel, which showed the ammunition left behind.
"What is typical is that the portable anti-aircraft missile systems, which are here, are from the Soviet system, but of Western production and in service in Western countries. The markings on the boxes are in English. This proves that they were most likely supplied to the Ukrainian army as aid from the European Union," Ivan Filiponenko, the spokesman for the LPR defense ministry, said.
Earlier in the day, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said that the Southern Grouping of Forces had completed the defeat of the encircled group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Gorskoye pocket and that Russian troops and the LPR People’s Militia (the Lugansk People’s Republic - TASS) had liberated Gorskoye and Zolotoye.