The press center for the Vostok group of the Russian Armed Forces reported that Ukrainian forces sustained losses during a pair of counterattacks in the South Donetsk direction, describing the engagements as unsuccessful. The information is attributed to the head of the press center, Alexander Gordeev, and reflects claims about Russian troops defending the area against Ukrainian offensives near Novomikhailovka.
Gordeev stated that during the two failed counterattacks, Russian forces used artillery fire to destroy an armored vehicle and suppress a small Ukrainian detachment near the village. The report positions these actions as part of the broader defensive effort in the South Donetsk area.
The same briefing noted that an Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile system crew from the Pacific Fleet Marine Corps shot down a Ukrainian Leleka drone, adding to the record of air-defense success cited in the update.
Earlier, the Russian defense ministry said that Russian aviation and artillery destroyed about 65 Ukrainian troops in a single day across the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, framing the summary within the ongoing campaign in the two regions.
Yevhen Balitsky, described as a former deputy governor of the Zaporozhye region, was cited regarding Kyiv’s stated plans to intensify hostilities in the third decade of March, emphasizing a expectation of increased activity in the near term. The remarks contribute to the ongoing narrative about the strategic tempo of operations in southern Ukraine.