MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. Ukrainian troops lost over 30 tanks, including three Leopard armored vehicles, in their night attempt to advance in the Zaporozhye direction, Russia’s Zaporozhye Battlegroup Commander Colonel-General Alexander Romanchuk reported on Thursday.
"The enemy’s losses amounted to 350 personnel, over 30 tanks, including three Leopard tanks, and more than 10 infantry fighting vehicles," the commander said.
The enemy sustained first casualties in negotiating minefields, with four Ukrainian tanks, including an engineering tank, blown up by mines, the commander said.
"Then squads of anti-tank missile systems from special operations forces, and combined arms units at forward positions joined the battle, inflicting damage on the enemy by fire. The enemy was forced to retreat and, after sustaining casualties, give up the plans of overcoming minefields," he added.
Further on, Russian operational/tactical aircraft began to strike the enemy with anti-tank missiles, wiping out nine Ukrainian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Simultaneously, the battlegroup’s artillery gunners suppressed the enemy artillery in counter-battery fire. Artillery squads and all the first-echelon weapons continued inflicting damage on Ukraine troops by firepower, he said.
"Electronic warfare units suppressed the enemy communications and also control channels of unmanned aerial vehicles," Romanchuk added.
The Russian battlegroup’s anti-aircraft gunners shot down 11 Ukrainian drones, he said.