It was not immediately clear if this marked the beginning of the counteroffensive that Kyiv has been preparing for months to reclaim occupied land.
Posted BY: | NwoReport
Russia said Monday that Ukraine’s military had launched a significant attack in a bid to break through its defenses on the war’s eastern front lines.
Kyiv did not confirm or deny the claims, made by officials in Moscow and the country’s influential military bloggers, but did caution against Russian misinformation.
It was not immediately clear if this marked the beginning of the major counteroffensive that Kyiv has been preparing for months to reclaim land occupied since last February’s invasion.
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The Russian defense ministry said in an overnight statement that Ukrainian ground forces had launched “a large-scale offensive” at five areas in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine late Sunday.
Ukraine used two brigades of its “strategic reserves” in the attack, with six mechanized and two tank battalions involved, the ministry said. It added that Ukraine had lost more than 250 troops, as well as 16 tanks and other equipment.
“The enemy’s goal was to break through Russia’s defenses in what it considered to be the most vulnerable area of the front,” the statement said. “The enemy was unsuccessful in achieving its goals.”
NBC News has not verified the claims.
Russia claimed a rare victory in the area last month after seizing the battered city of Bakhmut, but the front lines have otherwise remained largely static for months. It has long been speculated that Donetsk — which together with neighboring Luhansk forms the Donbas region annexed by the Kremlin — would be a target for the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
