Russia's Yug (South) battle group has established control over the key city of Kurakhovo (also known as Kurakhove) to the west of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday.
"In the course of active offensive actions, the Southern battle group has completely liberated the city of Kurakhovo – the largest settlement in the southwestern part of Donbas," the ministry said.
Ukraine has lost "80% of manpower (more than 12,000 people), about 3,000 units of military hardware, including 40 tanks and other armored vehicles," the ministry said.
"During the two months of fighting near Kurakhovo, Ukraine's daily military losses averaged between 150 and 180 people killed and wounded," the statement read.
The Ukrainian military had turned Kurakhovo into a "stronghold with an intricate network of permanent fire points and underground communications, reinforced by a water reservoir to the north, which used to significantly limit the maneuverability of Russian assault units," the Russian Defence Ministry said.
"Establishing control over this important logistics hub has significantly complicated the rear and technical support of the Ukrainian armed forces group in the Donetsk direction, depriving the Kiev regime of the opportunity to fire artillery systems at the civilian population of Donetsk, the capital of the DPR," the ministry said, adding that the liberation of the DPR will progress faster now.
Sputnik