MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army lost units of two elite brigades and an assault regiment in battles for the settlement of Varachino in the Sumy Region, a source in Russian defense circles told TASS on Wednesday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier on Wednesday that its Battlegroup North units had liberated the settlement of Varachino in the Sumy Region through active operations.

"In that area, the enemy lost units of the elite 71st jaeger brigade, 95th air assault brigade and 78th air assault regiment, which the [Ukrainian] military command tried to reinforce with reserves from the 15th border guard detachment (an assault unit of Ukraine’s border guards) and also with redeployed reserves from the 156th mechanized brigade," the defense source said.

The fierce battles for Varachino lasted more than a month, he specified.

"Even after our forces raised a flag [over the settlement of Varachino], the enemy was putting up fierce resistance, holding on to the basements of nearly destroyed buildings. Our troops cleared the last households of Ukrainian occupation forces only yesterday," the defense source added.

Russian defense circles told TASS earlier that the Ukrainian army’s 71st separate jaeger brigade in the Sumy Region had suffered heavy losses and some units had been withdrawn for refit. Meanwhile, the relatives of missing Ukrainian servicemen have held a protest action in Zhitomir to draw attention to the situation in the brigade. Also, the Ukrainian military command has assigned soldiers of the 15th separate mechanized brigade who have survived in the Sumy Region to the 71st brigade and is using them as a cannon fodder, the defense circles said.