MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. The Russian Armed Forces and the Federal Security Service’s border authorities thwarted an attempt by a group of Ukrainian militants, with mercenaries and special operations forces’ fighters among them, to infiltrate the Belgorod Region on March 14, the Defense Ministry reported.

"On March 14, the Russian Armed Forces together with the Russian Federal Security Service’s border authorities thwarted another attempt by units of the Ukrainian military to get to the territory of Russia’s Belgorod Region, this time around near the settlement of Kozinka adjacent to the border. At around 4:30 p.m. Moscow time for obtaining surprise a Ukrainian sabotage group of special operations forces’ fighters and foreign mercenaries at two Mi-8 helicopters landed up to 30 troops on Ukrainian territory 1 km away from the state border of the Russian Federation," the report said.

The sabotage group covertly moved toward the settlement of Kozinka located on the state border, where it entered several houses on its outskirts, the ministry said.

"As they attempted to get into the settlement, the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance forces were detected and stopped by the Russian army’s units together with the Federal Security Service’s border authorities. Fire damage was inflicted to the enemy by artillery fire, the attacks by army aircraft and guided aircraft bombs," according to the report.

Having sustained significant losses, the Ukrainian militants started retreating to the territory of Ukraine, the ministry noted, adding that the remnants of the Ukrainian sabotage group were destroyed in a minefield during their retreat to Ukrainian territory, with the enemy’s losses reaching over 50 people.

"The sabotage group tried to gain a foothold in one of the houses on Respublikanskaya Street, directly adjacent to the state border, where they were blocked by units of the Russian army. The remnants of the group, who retreated to the territory of Ukraine, entered a minefield where they were destroyed. Total losses of the Ukrainian armed forces exceeded 50 people," the report said.

The Ukrainian military’s losses at the attempted breakthrough operation on March 12-14 exceeded 1,500 militants, including around 500 irreplaceable losses, with 18 tanks and 23 armored combat vehicles destroyed. "All in all, over the past three days, from March 12 to 14, Russia’s Battlegroup West together with the Russian Federal Security Service’s border authorities thwarted all attempts by Ukrainian militants to get to the territory of the Belgorod and Kursk Regions of the Russian Federation. Attacks by the Ukrainian army’s units were repelled," the ministry concluded.