MOSCOW – Russian forces have thwarted a significant Ukrainian offensive within the southern Ukrainian area of Donetsk and killed tons of of pro-Kyiv troops, the Russian protection ministry mentioned on Monday.
In a press release, the ministry mentioned Ukraine had launched the offensive on Sunday utilizing six mechanized and two tank battalions.
“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction,” the ministry mentioned on the Telegram messaging app.
Reuters was unable to right away confirm the Russian assertion.
There was no speedy remark from Ukraine.
It was unclear whether or not the assault represented the beginning of a long-expected Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture among the territory taken by Russian forces after the invasion of February 2022.
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” the protection ministry mentioned. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success.”
The ministry additionally launched video of what it mentioned confirmed a number of Ukrainian armored autos in a discipline blowing up after being hit.
Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian troops in addition to destroying 16 tanks, the infantry combating autos and 21 armored fight autos, the ministry mentioned.
On Sunday, Kyiv urged “silence” forward of the long-expected counteroffensive to reclaim territory that Russia has taken management over within the 15-month lengthy struggle its been waging on its neighbor.
In an interview printed a day earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned Kyiv was able to act. Zelensky made no point out of the assault in his common night video tackle on Sunday night time.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who’s in command of Moscow’s army operation in Ukraine, was within the space of the Ukrainian assault, the ministry mentioned.
“(Gerasimov) was at one of the advanced command posts,” the ministry mentioned.
Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu have been lambasted in current months by highly effective mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner troops spearheaded the profitable assault on the japanese Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut final month.
Prigozhin has variously accused high Russian army officers of incompetence and treason. Neither Shoigu nor Gerasimov have responded in public to Prigozhin’s insults. —Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
