MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday claimed its forces had killed two Ukrainian generals and "up to 50 officers" in a strike on a restaurant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk this week.

"As a result of a strike on June 27 on Kramatorsk, two generals and up to 50 officers of the Ukrainian army were eliminated," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

Russian missile strike on restaurant kills nine in Ukraine

"Up to 20 foreign mercenaries and advisers" were also killed, the statement added.