Russian Armed Forces Liberate Solovyovo in DPR and Kotlyarovka in Kharkov Region

Russian troops' surprise spring breakthrough in Donbass and slow, steady push through the Kharkov region have sparked fears in Kiev and Washington that Ukraine's NATO-armed and trained forces won't be able to stop the front from crumbling before new arms aid arrives.

Russian forces are continuing to advance through Ukrainian-occupied areas of the Donetsk People's Republic, and have made new gains in the neighboring Kharkov region, Russia's Defense Ministry has announced.

"Units of Battlegroup Tsentr liberated the village of Solovyevo in the Donetsk People's Republic and struck a blow against the manpower and equipment of the 92nd Assault, 31st, 100th, and 115th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade and 2nd National Guard Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novgorodskoye, Rozovka, Kalinovo, Umanskoye, and Progress in the Donetsk People's Republic," the MoD said in a statement Monday.

Battlegroup Tsentr's troops were said to have engaged and repelled seven Ukrainian counterattacks in the areas of the settlements of Novokalinovo, Ocheretino, Netailovo and Berdychi in the DPR, in the course of which up to 370 Ukrainian troops, an armored combat vehicle, 20 other vehicles, and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed.

Elsewhere on the front, "as a result of dynamic actions, units of Battlegroup Zapad liberated the village of Kotlyarovka in Kharkov region," the Defense Ministry said.

"Having improved their position along the front line, [Russian forces] struck a blow to the manpower and equipment of the 14th, 44th, and 66th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the 119th Territorial Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Kharkov region, Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, and Novosadovoe in the Donetsk People's Republic," the MoD said.

Russian forces were also said to have repelled three counterattacks by Ukrainian assault groups in Sinkovka and Krakhmalnoye in the Kharkov region, and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, in the course of which Ukrainian forces lost up to 120 troops, two tanks, including a German-made Leopard, two US-made 155 mm M777 howitzers, a 152 mm Msta-B howitzer, and three 122 mm Gvozdika artillery pieces.

Units from Battlegroup Yug Group engaged in combat with Ukrainian formations in the settlements of Andreevka, Belogorovka, Kurakhovo, Kurdyumovka, Ostroye, Konstantinovka, and Spornoe in the DPR, causing up to 275 personnel losses, six vehicles, and an armored personnel carrier.

Elswhere in the DPR, forces from Battlegroup Vostok engaged Ukrainian forces in Vodyanoye, Makarovka, Prechistovka, and Urozhaynoye. Enemy losses were said to have amounted to 160 troops, two tanks, three vehicles, an M198 howitzer, and three D-30 guns.

In the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, units from Battlegroup Dnepr reported engagments with Ukrainian forces in and around the settlements of Stepnoe and Rabotino in Zaporozhye, and Tokarevka in Kherson. Enemy losses were said to include 40 troops, four M777 howitzers, a D-20 and D-30 howitzer, and a Nota electronic warfare station.

The MoD also indicated that forces from the Russian Black Sea Fleet had destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned drone boats off the coast of Crimea.

Tactical aviation units as well as missile and artillery forces reported the destruction of two Ukrainian enterprises engaged in the production of drones, and to have struck positions across 122 separate areas. A Ukrainian Su-27 jet was destroyed, along with 23 drones, as were seven HIMARS missiles launched toward Russian positions.

In addition, the military reported the destruction of an array of Ukrainian artillery in counter-battery fire, including an M109 Paladin, three M777 howitzers, a 105 mm M119 gun, two Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzers, a 122 mm D-30 howitzer, three Enklav and Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations, and a US-made counter-battery AN/TPQ-50 radar.