Russia says it thwarted major Ukrainian offensive, Kyiv says Moscow spreads lies

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia on Monday thwarted a massive offensive against Ukraine at five points along Ukraine’s Donetsk regional front, killing hundreds of soldiers as it accused Ukraine of spreading lies. announced that he had killed

It is not clear at this time if the attack represents the start of a Ukrainian counteroffensive after Kiev has promised for months to drive out Russian forces after the February 2022 invasion.

Russia’s defense ministry said Ukraine attacked southern Donetsk on Sunday morning with six mechanized battalions and two tank battalions, but Moscow has long suspected Ukraine is driving a wedge into Russian-controlled territory. I doubted it.

“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a massive offensive in five districts of the front in the direction of South Donetsk,” the Ministry of Defense reported on Telegram at 1:30 am Moscow time (22:30 Japan time). said in a statement. .

“The enemy’s goal, in his opinion, was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable sectors of the front line,” he said. “The enemy did not accomplish its mission, it was not successful.”

Reuters could not immediately confirm Russia’s statement, and Ukraine’s defense ministry and military did not respond to written requests for comment.

Ukrainian ground forces commander Oleksandr Shirsky said on Monday that Ukrainian forces were continuing to “advance” near the long-disputed city of Bakhmut, north of Donetsk. He declined to comment on the counterattack.

The daily report of the Ukrainian General Staff only listed 29 combat clashes in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications did not directly refer to Russia’s statement, but said Russia would try to spread lies without providing any evidence.

“Russian propagandists will spread misinformation about the counterattack, its direction and the losses of Ukrainian troops, in order to demoralize Ukrainians and mislead the community (including its own people),” the paper said. Stated.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov posted a cryptic message on Twitter Sunday that quoted Depeche Mode’s song “Enjoy the Silence.”

Russian war bloggers reported fighting on several fronts, particularly around Vredal, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of Bakhmut.

Finding

The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video showing several Ukrainian armored vehicles in a field exploding after being hit.

Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored fighting vehicles, the ministry said.

Valery Gerasimov, the chief of staff of the Russian army, who is in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine, was there at the time of the attack, the ministry said.

Prominent Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the name War Gonzo, said Ukrainian forces were attacking near the village of Velika Novoshilka, west of Vreddar.

“It’s a tough battle going on.”

Other Russian military bloggers also reported heavy fighting near Bakhmut, Soledar and Vredal on Monday morning. Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports.

Counterattack?

Ukraine has been preparing for a counterattack against Russian forces for months, which Kiev officials and CIA Director William Burns said would defeat the arrogance of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on Saturday that he was ready to launch a counterattack but that it would take time and could be costly. said he had tempered his prospects for success.

“I don’t know how long it will take,” he told Newsweek. “To be honest, it could go many different ways and it’s completely different. But we’re going to do it and we’re ready.”

It sought tens of billions of dollars of Western weapons to fight the Russian army, but the success or failure of the counterattack is likely to affect the form of Western diplomatic and military assistance to Ukraine in the future.

Ukraine has been trying to weaken Russia’s position in recent weeks, but its specific plans are shrouded in secrecy as it seeks to deliver yet another blow against a much larger Russian force.

Pro-Ukrainian forces have repeatedly infiltrated mainland Russia in the Belgorod region in recent days, although Moscow was hit by a drone last month in what Russia said was a terrorist attack by Ukraine.

After a two-month lull, Russia has launched hundreds of drones and missiles into Ukraine, primarily Kiev, since early May, targeting military installations as well as residential areas. claims to be

war in Ukraine

Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24 last year, just as the Kremlin had hoped for a swift operation, but the troops suffered a series of defeats and had to retreat and regroup across large swaths of eastern Ukraine. did not become.

Russia now controls at least 18% of the territories internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory and claims four areas of Ukraine as Russian territory.

For months, tens of thousands of Russian troops have advanced along a frontline that stretches nearly 600 miles (1,000 km) in preparation for a Ukrainian attack expected to cut Russia’s so-called land bridge to Crimea. there is , Russia annexed in 2014.

Ukraine has pledged to remove every last Russian soldier from its territory, and characterizes the aggression as an empire-style land grab by Russia.

Russia claims the West is fighting a hybrid war against Russia to sow discord and ultimately open up Russia’s vast natural resources, but Western leaders denies that claim.

Written by Guy Falkonbridge in Moscow, Lydia Kelly in Melbourne and David Ljunggren in Ottawa.Editing: Diane Kraft, Lincoln Feast, Philippa Fletcher

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