MOSCOW, April 5. /TASS/. Russian forces thwarted the Ukrainian army’s attempts to advance in several areas in Donbass over the past day, Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) people’s militia retired Lieutenant-Colonel Andrey Marochko said on Wednesday.

"During the last 24-hour period, a number of such attempts was thwarted in our area of responsibility. The enemy suffered quite heavy losses and returned to its initial positions," the retired LPR officer said in a live broadcast on Russia’s TV Channel One.

In the Kupyansk, Krasny Liman and Donetsk directions, the enemy is advancing all around, narrowing the positioning area, Marochko said.

The LPR retired officer said on April 4 that the Ukrainian military had stepped up its activities amid improved weather conditions.