Kyiv, May 13 (UNI) The South Grouping of the Russian armed forces has eliminated over 285 Ukrainian military and mercenaries, as well as 17 military vehicles and a weapons depot in the Donetsk direction over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"Over the past day, nine sorties were carried out in this area [near Donetsk]. Artillery of the grouping completed 98 striking missions. Over the day, more than 285 Ukrainian military and mercenaries, two tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, four armored personnel carriers, four cars, two Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, as well as a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in this direction," the ministry said in a statement.

Additionally, a missile and artillery shells depot of the Ukrainian army was destroyed near the city of Kramatorsk, according to the statement.

Besides, the ministry announced that another quarter in the northwestern part of Bakhmut, also known as Artyomovsk, was captured by Russian assault units, which were supported by the airborne forces on the flanks. The Russian air forces also conducted numerous strikes on the surrounding positions of the Ukrainian army.