Russia claims to have broken through Ukraine's defenses, controlling more territory

Russian soldiers participate in special military operations in Ukraine (Photo: RIA Novosti).

The Russian Defense Ministry said on April 21 that units of the Yug group of forces had taken control of the Donetsk settlement of Bogdanovka from Ukraine.

"Units of the Yug combat forces captured the Bogdanovka settlement in Donetsk, improved their positions along the front line and attacked personnel and equipment of the 53rd Ukrainian Mechanized Brigade near the Krasnogorovka settlement in Donetsk," the statement read.

According to the agency, two counterattacks by the 93rd Ukrainian Mechanized Brigade were repelled in the Chasov Yar area and west of the Krasnoye settlement in Donetsk.

"The enemy's losses amounted to 440 servicemen, three vehicles and an Osa-AKM air defense missile system," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

In addition, Russia announced that it had destroyed a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 at the Dnepr airport overnight. Russian air defense systems have shot down 194 Ukrainian drones and 8 projectiles from multiple-launch rocket systems of various types in the past 24 hours.

Russia claims to have attacked a Ukrainian UAV manufacturing facility. Meanwhile, the Zapad group of forces announced that 50 Ukrainian soldiers were eliminated from combat.

In Lugansk, Russia reported gaining more favorable defenses and destroying equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces near Novoyegorovka and Novosyolovskoye as well as Olivovsky Yar.

Ukrainian losses included one M777 155mm self-propelled gun and two M119 105mm complexes made in the US, two Msta-B 152mm self-propelled guns, one Akatsiya 152mm self-propelled gun system, one Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled gun, four D-30 122mm guns, one Rapira 100mm anti-tank gun, one Grad rocket launcher, as well as a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station.

In recent times, Russia has taken advantage of Ukraine's depletion of artillery and anti-aircraft missiles to step up attacks on Kiev's positions on the front line.

The US House of Representatives recently passed a bill providing military aid to Ukraine and is awaiting approval from the Senate and US President Joe Biden. If the bill is signed into law, this move is expected to help Ukraine quench its "thirst" for weapons. Western experts say that Russia is expected to intensify its attacks in the coming days, before Western aid is delivered to Ukraine.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nga-tuyen-bo-choc-thung-phong-tuyen-ukraine-kiem-soat-them-lanh-tho-20240421205602943.htm