LUGANSK, October 22. /TASS/. Russian troops have destroyed strategic positions of the Ukrainian army near the settlement of Terny in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS on Tuesday.

"Russian troops destroyed the enemy's strongholds east of the settlement of Terny as a result of their advance. These positions of Ukraine's armed formations were located on strategic heights and were of key importance for Ukrainian militants," the military expert said.

The Ukrainian army attempted to regain control of the strategic positions but was unsuccessful. "A part of [Ukrainian] assault personnel fled the battlefield after an attempt to go into battle," he added.

Marochko previously told TASS on October 16 that Russian forces could begin "to seriously press the Ukrainian combat group stationed near the settlement of Terny in the Donetsk People's Republic after they had liberated the community of Nevskoye in the Lugansk People's Republic."