Russia’s Defense Ministry has announced that 1,940 Ukrainian military personnel were killed in 24 hours as Russian troops continued to gain ground.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry said 475 Ukrainian troops lost their lives in clashes with the western group of the Russian armed forces.
Ukraine’s army also lost 405 troops in clashes with the central group, while 120 Ukrainian forces were killed in fighting with the eastern group.
According to the statement, 620 Ukrainian troops were also killed in clashes with the southern group of the Russian armed forces.
Meanwhile, the northern group defeated Ukrainian troops in areas in Kharkiv region and thwarted two Ukrainian attacks, leaving 320 troops killed.
That came as Russia launched a major operation against the Kharkiv region, which sits across the border from Belgorod, in May.
President Vladimir Putin said the operation was conducted in order to create a buffer zone to protect Russian frontier villages from Ukraine’s fatal attacks.
According to the ministry’s statement, the Russian armed forces took control of the settlement of Stepova Novoselivka in Kharkiv region on Monday.
The statement said that the settlement of Novopokrovka in Donetsk was also liberated.
In February 2022, Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine partly to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was following an “aggressive line” against Moscow.
The Western countries have been fueling the flames of the war with their unchecked delivery of weapons to Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that such a flow of weapons to Kiev will only prolong the conflict.