A total of 789 Ukrainian troops have been killed since the start of government's military operation against independence-seeking insurgents in eastern regions in mid-April, a military official said Friday.

According to Andrei Lysenko, the spokesman of the National Security and Defense Council, at least 2,789 Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in the conflict.

Over the past 24 hours, ten Ukrainian soldiers died and 30 others were wounded during the clashes with insurgents, Lysenko said.

More than four months ago, Ukraine's military launched offensives against insurgents to regain control over the seized cities and towns, and in mid-August government forces claimed major progress in its effort to retake the insurgent-seized areas.

However, in recent weeks, Ukrainian forces appeared to have been losing ground, as the conflict area expanded to a new section of the country's territory in Donetsk region.

According to the UN estimates, the violence, in which both sides use heavy weapons, has left over 2,500 people dead.

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