Ukraine hits Russian command posts days after defense minister's visit, military says
Ukrainian forces successfully struck Russian command posts in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast on Sept. 8, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
The attack targeted command posts of Russia's "Center" group of forces and the 41st Combined Arms Army, whose units operate in the Pokrovsk sector, the military said on Sept. 16.
Pokrovsk, a strategic town in Ukraine's east, has been the key focus of Russian military operations in Donetsk Oblast for the past months.
"Casualties among Russian personnel, including members of the command staff, have been confirmed," the statement read.
Ukraine's General Staff noted that Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov visited the headquarters in the sector on Aug. 28, just a few days before it was targeted.
The attacks were carried out by Ukraine's missile and artillery troops, the Air Force, and the Unmanned Systems Forces in cooperation with other units.
"Strikes against these military facilities significantly disrupt the command and control of Russian army units," the military added.
Russian media earlier reported on Belousov's visit to the "Center" group of forces headquarters, saying the minister was briefed on military operations in the sector.
Even as Russia's spring-summer offensive saw Russian troops push toward Pokrovsk and other key towns in Donetsk Oblast, recent weeks saw a string of Ukrainian counterattacks.
The National Guard's 1st Azov Corps reported on Sept. 15 that Ukrainian forces have cleared Russian troops from the village of Pankivka in the Dobropillia sector.
Earlier this month, Ukraine's military reported the liberation of Novoekonomichne and Udachne, two villages near Pokrovsk.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sept. 7 that Ukrainian forces regained control of 26 square kilometers (10 square miles) around Pokrovsk in August, while losing 5 square kilometers (2 square miles) in the same area.
