OREANDA-NEWS. Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in battles with the People's Militia of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) on April 19 lost 165 personnel. This was stated by the official representative of the People's Militia of the LPR Ivan Filiponenko, reports TASS.

In addition, the Ukrainian side lost 11 armored vehicles and one launcher of the Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system.

According to Filiponenko, Kyiv continues to withdraw the command of the armed forces of Ukraine from the combat zone.

“So, realizing the inevitability of the offensive of the NM LPR troops on the settlement of Zolote, the general of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the administration of the city, which was involved in the criminal schemes of Ukrainian militants, was taken out by helicopter,” said the representative of the NM LPR.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had decided to conduct a military special operation in Ukraine in response to a request for help from the heads of the LPR and DPR.

The decision to conduct the operation was the reason for new sanctions against Russia by the United States and its allies.