MOSCOW, December 31. /TASS/. Over the past 24 hours, units of Russia’s battlegroup East repelled one attack by an assault group of the Ukrainian armed forces in the southern Donetsk direction, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"In the southern Donetsk direction, units of the battlegroup East supported by artillery repelled an attack by the assault group of the 127th territorial defense brigade in the area of the settlement of Priyutnoye, the Zaporozhye region, and inflicted fire damage on the personnel of the 79th air assault brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces in the area of the settlement of Novomikhailovka, the People's Republic of Donetsk," the ministry said.

The Defense Ministry clarified that enemy losses amounted to up to 100 military personnel and two vehicles.

"During the counter-battery fight, a German made FH70 howitzer, an Msta-B howitzer and a D-30 howitzer were hit," the ministry said.