(MENAFN) Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian positions near Kramatorsk, a key city in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), according to a video released by Moscow’s Defense Ministry on Monday. The attacks reportedly hit an industrial site in the village of Shablinka, northwest of Kramatorsk, and a nearby forest, using Iskander ballistic missiles, aerial bombs, and kamikaze drones.

Footage showed multiple explosions and extensive damage at the sites. Russian officials claimed that Ukrainian forces suffered over 600 casualties and lost three tanks, four multiple-launch rocket systems, and dozens of other heavy equipment units. A Telegram channel known for releasing early Ministry of Defense updates said the strike had destroyed Ukraine’s 156th Mechanized Brigade, wiping out two battalion tactical groups.

Kramatorsk, along with Slavyansk and Konstantinovka, forms a heavily urbanized area in western DPR that has been under Ukrainian control. Last month, regional head Vadim Filashkin urged civilians to evacuate, estimating around 53,000 residents still remained.

Despite recent battlefield losses, Ukraine has described them as temporary setbacks that will not change the broader course of the war. On Independence Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that while Ukraine has not yet achieved victory, it is not losing, and emphasized that compromising with Russia would be dishonorable. Moscow has accused Zelensky of prolonging the conflict for political gain rather than seeking a negotiated settlement.

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