Kiev: Scouts of the Russian Southern Military District have disrupted the rotation of Ukrainian troops near the town of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia Region, with Kiev losing more than 30 soldiers, the Russian Defence Ministry said Friday.

“Scouts of the Southern Military District, in cooperation with artillery units, disrupted the rotation of the Ukrainian armed forces personnel at the front line near Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region.

With the help of a reconnaissance drone equipped with thermal imaging equipment, a hub of Ukrainian nationalists preparing for the rotation of personnel has been detected,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that 35 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded and two vehicles have been destroyed.