Russia said on Monday that its forces thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive at five points along the front line in southern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, killing hundreds of pro-Kiev fighters.
It is not clear at this time if the reported offensive represents the launch of a Ukrainian counteroffensive that Kiev has promised for months to retake territories occupied by Russian forces after the February 2022 invasion.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukraine had attacked southern Donetsk with six machine battalions and two tank battalions, but Moscow has long suspected that Ukraine was driving a wedge into Russian-controlled territory. was
“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 said in a statement posted on Telegram at 1:30 am Moscow time.
“The enemy’s goal, in his opinion, was to penetrate our defenses in the most vulnerable sectors of the front line,” he said. “The enemy did not accomplish the task and did not succeed.”
Reuters could not immediately confirm Russia’s statement, and Ukraine’s defense ministry and military did not respond to written requests for comment.
The daily report of the General Staff of Ukraine only mentions 29 battles in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov posted a cryptic message on Twitter Sunday that quoted Depeche Mode’s song “Enjoy the Silence.”
“Words are so super unnecessary. Words can only do harm,” he tweeted.
Last week, Ukraine released a flashy video, later aired as a recruitment video, showing its troops preparing for battle and chanting fervent blessings.
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.
According to the ministry, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, who is in charge of the Russian army’s military operations in Ukraine, was in the attack area in Ukraine.
Some prominent Russian military bloggers, including Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the name “War Gonzo,” reported heavy fighting in areas controlled by Russia early Monday morning. Pegov said Ukrainian forces were attacking near Velika Novoshirka in the Donetsk region.
“It’s a tough battle going on.”
Other Russian military bloggers also reported heavy fighting near Bakhmut, Soledar and Vredal in the Donetsk region 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 since early May, mainly from Kiev, with Ukrainians targeting their own military installations and critical infrastructure. 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 marched along a front line that stretches nearly 600 miles, preparing for a Ukrainian attack that would cut the so-called land bridge to Russia’s annexed Crimea. in 2014.
Ukraine has said it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is driven from its territory, describing the invasion as an imperial land grab by Russia, the world’s largest nuclear power.
Russia claims that the war is escalating and that the West is waging what amounts to a hybrid war against Russia aimed at sowing discord and ultimately eating up Russia’s vast natural resources. there is
The West wants Ukraine to defeat Russia, but denies wanting to destroy Russia. US President Joe Biden said last year that a head-to-head confrontation between NATO and Russia would mean World War III.
