MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. The Russian military disrupted three attempts by Ukrainian forces to carry out a reconnaissance mission in the South Donetsk direction, destroying a recon enemy group and a Valkyrie drone, Battlegroup East Spokesman Alexander Gordeyev told TASS.

"Three attempts by the enemy to conduct a reconnaissance mission were thwarted by Battlegroup East; also, a reconnaissance group was destroyed, and more than 20 militants were eliminated," he reported.

According to Gordeyev, an Osa-AKM missile system crew downed a Ukrainian Valkyrie drone. Besides, in the course of counter-battery fighting, two enemy howitzers were detected with automatic sound-ranging systems near Vodyanoye and Novopavlovka. The howitzers were destroyed by Giatsint-S self-propelled howitzer crews.