MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. Russia’s battlegroup East has repulsed three Ukrainian attacks in the southern Donetsk direction, battlegroup spokesman Oleg Chekhov told TASS.

"In the southern Donetsk area, units of the battlegroup East, backed by artillery, repulsed two enemy attacks near Novodonetskoye and one near Prechistovka. They destroyed: an armored fighting vehicle, automobiles and Ukrainian servicemen," Chekhov said, adding that an enemy attempt to attack in the Priyutnoye area was foiled, as well as an attempt to rotate units.

Chekhov added that a US M777 howitzer was destroyed, as well as mortar crews in the areas of Makarovka, Ugledar and Novomikhailovka.

The battlegroup also destroyed two Ukrainian strongholds north of Nikolskoye, as well as a number of ammunition depots in the southern Donetsk direction.

"Two nationalist strongholds in the area north of Nikolskoye were destroyed during an attack. Artillery fire destroyed ammunition depots in the area of Konstantinovka, north of Vladimirovka and in the area of Uglesborochnaya," Chekhov said. According to him, the sites of temporary deployment of the 72nd Ukrainian mechanized brigade in Vodyanoye, places of accumulation of Ukrainian servicemen in the areas of Urozhaynoye and Novodonetskoye were also hit.