MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. More than fifty Ukrainian troops were killed and seven were taken prisoner during an attempted breakthrough near the settlement of Nesteryanka in the Zaporozhye region, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the We Are Together with Russia movement, said on Thursday.

"In the morning on September 14, units of the Ukrainian armed forces’ 65th motorized rifle brigade attempted to breakthrough the defenses of the 503rd motorized rifle regiment of the 19th division near the settlement of Nesteryanka in the Zaporozhye region. As a result of three abortive attempts at breaking through our defense, thanks to the skillful actions of our artillery and motorized rifle units, the enemy was stopped and retreated to its positions sustaining serious losses. An enemy tank was destroyed by fire from an anti-tank weapon. The crew survived but was abandoned to Ukrainian troops fleeing the battlefield. As a result of the battle, [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s militants lost more than 50 troops," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Rogov, three tanks, three M113 US-made armored infantry carriers were destroyed. Seven troops, including one officer, were taken prisoner. "During the interrogation of the prisoners, it was established that units are poorly manned, with most of the troops being untrained reservists who were flung into the battle as cannon fodder," he added.

By now, around 72-73% of the Zaporozhye region have been liberated. However, the region’s administrative center, the city of Zaporozhye, where nearly half of the region’s population is living, is still controlled by Kiev and its function is temporarily performed by Melitopol. The region is being integrated into Russia’s economic and legal environment and the local authorities declare the intention to accede to Russia. Ukraine is seeking to hamper the restoration of peaceful life by shelling civilian facilities.