MELITOPOL, March 5. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces continue to deploy reinforcements, including units of the Azov nationalist battalion (designated as a terrorist organization and outlawed in Russia) to the vicinity of the village of Rabotino, Zaporozhye Region, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the We Stand With Russia movement, told TASS.
"The Ukrainian armed forces are deploying troops and equipment to the Rabotino area, including army units, the National Guard and Nazi formations, <...> namely Azov members and others. They are deploying them all to try to hold on to the village of Rabotino," Rogov pointed out.
According to him, the enemy lost at least 80 troops in the Zaporozhye sector of the line of engagement in the past day. "The enemy deployed more units to Rabotino. They immediately dismount and go on the attack without lining up in combat formation. <...> Two-thirds of the village remains in the gray zone," the politician added.
Rogov also said that another factor complicating combat operations was the fact that Rabotino was completely destroyed, thus making it difficult to gain a foothold there.
On March 4, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of Battlegroup Dnieper had hit Ukrainian armed forces units, including troops and equipment attached to Ukraine’s 65th and 118th mechanized brigades, the 127th Mountain Assault Brigade and the 14th National Guard Brigade, near Rabotino, Verbovoye and Pyatikhatki. The Ukrainian army lost up to 85 troops, two HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and a US-made M777 howitzer.