MOSCOW, January 7. /TASS/. Russian forces thwarted five attempts of the Ukrainian forces to rotate troops in the south Donetsk area, Spokesman for Russia’s Battlegroup East Alexander Gordeyev told TASS on Sunday.

"Strikes delivered by aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems targeted positions, temporary deployment areas and concentrations of manpower of the 79th Ukrainian air assault and 23rd mechanized brigades near the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Konstantinovka and Vladimirovka, as well as of the 128th territorial defense brigade near the settlement of Staromayorskoye," Gordeyev said.

The senior military official added that the Russian forces also eliminated an enemy’s arms depot and a UAV flight-control post in the south Donetsk area.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to over 90 personnel killed and wounded, two military armored vehicles and six pickup trucks," he said.

Gordeyev also reported that the Russian forces wiped out an arms depot, a UAV flight-control post and 16 permanent fire positions.