MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. Russian forces seized several Ukrainian strongholds near the settlement of Sergeyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), advancing 1.5 km deep into the enemy’s defense over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.

"Near the settlement of Sergeyevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, assault teams of the 15th motor rifle brigade from the 2nd army kept capitalizing on their success in the Svatovo direction and seized a number of Ukrainian army strongholds. They advanced 1.5 km deep into the enemy’s defense," the spokesman said.

West of the settlement of Zhitlovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, "assault teams of the 252nd and 752nd motor rifle regiments of the 20th army attacked the enemy, exploiting the results of inflicting damage by firepower and advanced three kilometers deep into its defense," the general reported.

Ukraine’s military attempts attacks in three directions over past day

The Ukrainian military continued offensive attempts in three directions over the past day, the spokesman said.

"During the last 24-hour period, Ukrainian armed formations continued offensive attempts in the south Donetsk, Krasny Liman and Donetsk directions," the spokesman said.

Russian forces gain advantageous sites in Kupyansk advance over past day

Russian forces gained advantageous sites in their offensive in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, assault teams of the 7th motor rifle regiment of the western battlegroup continued offensive operations west of the settlement of Kuzyomovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and gained advantageous sites after accomplishing their day mission," the spokesman said.

Also, the battlegroup’s operational/tactical and army aircraft and artillery inflicted damage by their well-coordinated operations on units of the Ukrainian army’s 14th and 32nd mechanized brigades and 103rd territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Sinkovka and Novoosinovo in the Kharkov Region, the general reported.

Russian forces destroy over 30 Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian forces destroyed over 30 Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to over 30 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, a D-30 howitzer and two US-made AN/TPQ-50 and AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar stations," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate 90 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area over past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating about 90 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s total losses in the Krasny Liman direction amounted to 90 Ukrainian personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, three armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a D-30 howitzer," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, Russian forces repulsed four Ukrainian attacks as a result of skillfully organized defense and well-coordinated actions of units from the battlegroup Center. During the last 24-hour period, they also suppressed enemy manpower and military hardware in areas near the settlements of Torskoye and Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Novovodyanoye, Chervonaya Dibrova and Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the general reported.

Russian forces repel seven Ukrainian attacks in Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces repelled seven Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, the defending units of the 7th, 9th and 132nd motor rifle brigades from the 1st and 2nd army corps of the southern battlegroup successfully repelled by their skillfully organized gunfire combined with engineered obstacles seven attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 53rd mechanized, 59th motorized infantry and 81st air mobile brigades in areas near the settlements of Belogorovka, Zaitsevo, Pervomaiskoye and Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The battlegroup’s air strikes and artillery fire inflicted damage on manpower and military hardware of units of the Ukrainian army’s 24th, 28th, 43rd and 110th mechanized, 10th mountain assault, 3rd air assault and 77th air mobile brigades near Avdeyevka, Konstantinovka, Seversk, Novgorodskoye and Belaya Gora in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general reported.

Russian forces thwart Ukrainian troop rotation near Kleshcheyevka in DPR

Russian forces thwarted the rotation of Ukrainian troops near the settlement of Kleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), destroying over 260 enemy troops in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The rotation of Ukrainian army units was thwarted by skilled operations of reconnaissance squads and combined firepower near the settlement of Kleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In all, over 260 Ukrainian personnel, five infantry fighting vehicles, three armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, eight motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, an Akatsiya motorized artillery gun and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed in that direction [in the Donetsk area] over the past 24 hours," the spokesman reported.

Russian forces eliminate 110 Ukrainian troops at Vremevka bulge in DPR

Russian forces eliminated roughly 110 Ukrainian troops at the Vremevka bulge in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"At the Vremevka bulge near the settlement of Staromayorskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, units of the battlegroup East repelled by their active operations an attack by an assault force of the Ukrainian army’s 35th marine infantry brigade and destroyed a Ukrainian subversive and reconnaissance group. The enemy’s losses amounted to 110 Ukrainian personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, three armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles and also D-20, D-30 and Msta-B howitzers," the spokesman reported.

Russian forces destroy 180 Ukrainian troops, five Western tanks in south Donetsk area

Russian forces destroyed 180 Ukrainian troops and five Western tanks in the south Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the south Donetsk direction, the enemy continued attempts to break through the defenses of Russian troops, using armor and other heavy equipment. In areas near the settlements of Rabotino and Uspenovka in the Zaporozhye Region, the Ukrainian military attacked the positions of the 71st motor rifle regiment of the 42nd motor rifle division from the 58th army of the Southern Military District and the 810th marine infantry brigade of the Black Sea Fleet by forces of the 47th mechanized brigade reinforced by foreign-made tanks. The personnel displayed endurance, perseverance and courage and successfully repelled all the attacks by the enemy’s overwhelming forces," the spokesman said.

During the battles, Russian forces destroyed as many as 180 Ukrainian personnel, five enemy tanks, including three German-made Leopard tanks and two French-made AMX wheeled tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles, two armored combat vehicles, a US-manufactured M777 artillery system and a Strela-10 surface-to-air missile system, the general reported.

Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian army’s rear command post

Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian battlegroup’s rear command post and an enemy field command point over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In areas near the settlements of Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye Region, a rear command post of the Ukrainian battlegroup Soledar, and also a field command point of the Ukrainian army’s 10th army corps were destroyed," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces struck 117 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 133 areas, the general reported.

Russian forces destroy 20 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area over past day

Russian forces destroyed roughly 20 Ukrainian troops in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 20 Ukrainian personnel and two motor vehicles were destroyed as a result of damage inflicted by combined firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian air defenses destroy 17 Ukrainian military drones over past day

Russian air defense forces destroyed 17 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and intercepted two rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities intercepted two rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. In addition, they destroyed 17 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Gorlovka, Soledar, Volnovakha, Novobakhmutovka and Nevelskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Tokmak, Ulyanovka and Energodar in the Zaporozhye Region and Aleshki in the Kherson Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy over 11,000 tanks, armored vehicles in Ukraine operation

Russian forces have destroyed over 11,000 tanks and other armored vehicles of the Ukrainian army since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

"In all, 11,010 tanks and other armored combat vehicles have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation," the spokesman said.

The Defense Ministry spokesman reported on July 27 that 10,966 Ukrainian tanks and other armored combat vehicles had been eliminated since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine.

Russian forces have also destroyed 457 Ukrainian warplanes, 244 combat helicopters, 5,308 unmanned aerial vehicles, 427 surface-to-air missile systems, 1,140 multiple rocket launchers, 5,646 field artillery guns and mortars and 11,939 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.