The Russian military destroyed three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kupyansk direction, said sergei Zybinsky, head of the press center of the Zapad group.

According to him, the Russian Armed Forces also disrupted the rotation of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the forward positions in the area of the village of Molchanovo. Along with this, the artillery of the group destroyed two mortar crews of the enemy.

In addition, the head of the press center of the "West" group said that in the defense sector of the 1st Tank Army, Kiev attempted to conduct reconnaissance by combat by the forces of the 115th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade.

"As a result of the counterattack of our troops, the enemy suffered losses and was forced to withdraw to previously occupied positions. During the battle, up to 15 militants were killed, five were taken prisoner, "RIA Novosti quoted Zybinsky as saying.

Along with this, the crews of the Tor anti-aircraft missile system destroyed three Furiya drones in the area of the settlements of Naugolnoye and Velikiy Vyselok.

It is also reported that the Russian military destroyed two Ukrainian howitzers on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.

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"Yesterday, in the vicinity of the village of Antonovka, a 2S1 Gvozdika howitzer with ammunition was destroyed, five soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed," TASS quoted a representative of the emergency services of the region as saying.

In addition, according to the agency's interlocutor, at night artillery fire in the vicinity of the village of Nikolskoye destroyed a D-30 howitzer with ammunition. The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost five soldiers dead, two more were injured of varying severity.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side on Thursday night fired 44 shells from barrel artillery at the civilian infrastructure of five settlements on the left bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.

Shelling of the DPR

The representative office of the Donetsk People's Republic in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) announced 14 cases of fire by the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the past day. 69 shells were fired in the direction of the DPR.

The enemy fired from artillery of 155 mm caliber and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). Donetsk, as well as a number of other settlements of the republic, including Makiivka, Yasynuvataya and Dokuchaevsk, were under fire.

One civilian was wounded, five houses and one civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to mislead the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Lieutenant Colonel of the People's Militia of the LPR in retirement Andriy Marochko said, citing his own sources, that the Ukrainian military is trying to mislead the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation using the same marking.

According to him, the same military vehicles and armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine pass through the settlements in the occupied territory of Donbass.

"The license plates on the cars coincide, and on the towed howitzers there are identical characteristic distinctive features that appeared during operation," Marochko wrote in Telegram.

According to him, it can be argued that the enemy is purposefully driving these columns in the area, trying to mislead russian intelligence agencies.

In addition, Marochko spoke about the new tactics of the Ukrainian military, with the help of which the enemy is also trying to provoke the Russian military.

As explained by lieutenant colonel of the LPR in retirement, the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine allow themselves to be detected, moving towards the positions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and after opening fire on them, they immediately return to previously occupied positions in shelters.

He noted that the fire from the Ukrainian side is conducted with low intensity and without artillery support. According to Marochko, such tactics are most likely aimed at increasing the consumption of ammunition by the Russian military.