Global Courant
*
Russia: Foiled a major Ukrainian offensive
*
Ukraine remains silent on Russian statement
*
Russia says it has killed more than 250 Ukrainians
*
Russia claims to have destroyed tanks
(Adds details of Ukrainian preparations for offensive in paragraphs 10 and 11)
MOSCOW, June 5 (Reuters) – Russian troops have thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in the southern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, killing hundreds of pro-Kiev troops, the defense ministry in Moscow said on Monday.
In a statement, the ministry said Ukraine launched the attack on Sunday using six mechanized battalions and two tank battalions.
“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a massive offensive in five sectors of the front towards South Donetsk,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
Reuters could not immediately verify the Russian statement.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
It was unclear whether the reported attack was the start of a long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture some territory taken by Russian forces after the February 2022 invasion.
“The enemy’s aim was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in his opinion, sector of the front,” the defense ministry said. “The enemy has not completed his tasks, he has not succeeded.”
The ministry also released video of what it said, which showed several Ukrainian armored vehicles in a field exploding after being hit.
Russian troops killed 250 Ukrainian troops and destroyed 16 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored fighting vehicles, the ministry said.
Ukraine has been trying to weaken Russian positions in recent weeks. Late last month, a senior official said preparatory operations, such as destroying supply lines or blowing up depots, had already begun.
A drone attack
set fire to a power plant
in Russia’s Belgorod region in the early hours of Monday, the region’s governor said. The region borders Ukraine and has been regularly shelled in recent weeks.
Story continues
On Sunday, Kiev urged “silence” ahead of its long-awaited counter-offensive to reclaim territory Russia has taken control of in its 15-month war against its neighbour.
In an interview published the day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kiev was ready to act. Zelenskiy made no mention of the attack in his regular video address on Sunday night.
Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who is in charge of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, was in the area of the Ukrainian attack, the ministry said.
“(Gerasimov) was at one of the forward command posts,” the ministry said.
Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu have been criticized in recent months by powerful mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner forces spearheaded the successful assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month.
Prigozhin has repeatedly accused Russia’s top officials of incompetence and treason. Neither Shoigu nor Gerasimov have publicly responded to Prigozhin’s insults. (Written by Lidia Kelly and David Ljunggren; edited by Guy Faulconbridge and Diane Craft)
