The leader of the We Are With Russia movement, Vladimir Rogov, told TASS on September 20 that Kiev forces were forced to retreat from the outskirts of Staromayorskoye in the direction of Donetsk.

“There has been success in the Vremevka area. Near Staromayorskoye, the Ukrainian army has retreated from the outskirts of this village. This is where Ukraine has been trying to gain control for a long time,” Rogov said.

In the Zaporozhye direction, Kiev forces are also facing strong resistance. According to Mr. Rogov, up to 100 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed near the village of Rabotino in the past 24 hours.

Mr Rogov also revealed that Kiev forces are trying to attack Novoprokopovka and Ilchenkovo, south of Rabotino.

“The enemy’s artillery is very strong. The number of cluster bombs used is increasing, and sometimes one or two of our soldiers are even injured by artillery shells or rockets,” he added.

However, according to SF , Ukraine's losses in the Donetsk direction were heavier. Georgy Minesashvili, spokesman for the Yug Group of Forces (Russia), told TASS that at least 250 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in recent clashes in this direction.

“The forces of the battle group supported by aviation and artillery units thwarted two attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to rotate the assault units near Kleshcheyevka and Vesyoloye. The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 215 soldiers,” said Georgy Minesashvili.

According to Georgy Minesashvili, the group also repelled Ukrainian attacks near Soledar, Artyomovsk, Alexandro-Kalinovo and Avdeyevka.

The group's air force carried out a series of airstrikes, destroying two temporary bases, four ammunition depots, 10 vehicles, an electronic warfare station and a P-18 radar station, the spokesman added.

Russian airstrikes destroy Ukrainian equipment.

Kiev forces also lost five US-made M777 rocket launchers, an AN/TPQ-48 counter-battery radar station, two Gvozdika self-propelled guns, a Giatsint-B towed gun and two 120 mm mortars in Soledar, Artyomovsk, Alexandro-Kalinovo, Avdeyevka and Lisichansk.

Minesashvili noted that the group's air defense, electronic warfare and weapons stations shot down eight Ukrainian drones near Alexandrovka, Semigorye and Zolotaryovka, as well as four HIMARS missiles.

Ukraine launched a counteroffensive 15 weeks ago. However, Kiev forces have not been able to penetrate Russian defenses in any direction, despite heavy losses in manpower and equipment.

HOA AN (according to SF, AVP)