Donetsk, Sep 1 — DAN. Servicemen of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade have abandoned their positions on the frontline in Artyomovsk and retreated because of large manpower losses, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday.

“The personne of 72nd Mechanized Brigade units in the Artyomovsk area of the Donetsk People’s Republic, due to large losses, low supply of weapons and lack of fire support refused to obey commanders’ orders, abandoned their positions and retreated into the rear, ” Konashenkov said.

Russia’s aerospace forces delivered a strike at the 93rd Mechanized Brigade temporary accommodation center in the Kiev-occupied Chasovoy Yar killing more than 100 gunmen and destroying 15 pieces of military hardware.  Also, an artillery missile depot was destroyed in Nonvoukrainka, he added.

Russia began a special military operation aimed at the demilitarization and de-nazification of Ukraine on February 24. As of today, the Russian army jointly with DPR and LPR militia units  have fully liberated the Lugansk People’s Republic and a large part of the Kherson region, as well as parts of the Nikolayev, Zaporozhye and Kharkov regions. In the Donetsk People’s Republic fighting is ongoing on the Slavyansk, Donetsk and Artyomovsk axes.*jk