MOSCOW, May 8. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated the community of Novokalinovo in the Avdeyevka direction in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Kislovka in the Kupyansk direction in the Kharkov Region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Battlegroup Center units fully liberated the settlement of Novokalinovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of successful operations… Battlegroup West units improved their forward edge positions and fully liberated the settlement of Kislovka in the Kharkov Region in active operations," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center units "repulsed 11 counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 24th, 47th and 100th mechanized, 59th motorized infantry, 25th airborne and 142nd infantry brigades and 78th separate air assault regiment in areas near the settlements of Shumy, Novgorodskoye, Vodyanoye, Solovyovo, Semyonovka, Pervomaiskoye and Netailovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Avdeyevka direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 415 personnel, a German-made Leopard tank, four armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West units "repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the 31st National Guard brigade near the settlements of Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Kupyansk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 55 personnel and two 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.