MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Units of the Yuzhnaya group of forces have destroyed more than 250 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the past day in the Donetsk direction, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday.

"In the course of active operations by units of the Yuzhnaya group of forces, with strikes by operational-tactical aviation and artillery fire, over 250 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, three armored combat vehicles, nine vehicles, self-propelled artillery mount Gvozdika, Msta-B and D-20 howitzers were destroyed over the day in the Donetsk direction," he said.

The grouping of troops Vostok defeted the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Yuzhno-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions over the past day, Konashenkov added. At the same time, group Zapad hit Ukrainian units in the Kupyansk direction - up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen and two sabotage and reconnaissance groups were destroyed over the day. The Center group defeated the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnolymansk direction, with up to 55 Ukrainian servicemen eliminated over the day.