Conflicts & War

Russia claims it repelled major Ukrainian offensive, killed 250 soldiers

Moscow/Kyiv Jun 5 (EFE).- More than 250 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Moscow foiled a major offensive in the Donetsk region over the weekend, the Russian defense ministry claimed on Monday.

“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 said in a statement on Telegram.

Ukraine used six mechanized and two tank battalions in the offensive, according to the statement.

“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” the ministry pointed out.

The Ukrainian forces “did not achieve their tasks” and lost over 250 troops and 16 tanks, as well as several armored vehicles.

Elsewhere, Russian-appointed authorities in Zaporizhzhia city reported that Ukrainian operations have resumed.

“The situation is alerting but under control,” said Vladimir Rogov, leader of the We Are Together With Russia movement.

Rogov said Kyiv’s goal is to break through to the Azov Sea and cut off the land corridor between Russia and annexed Crimea through the occupied regions.

Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security warned that Russia would use what it called “psychological information operations” on social networks to suggest failure of the Kyiv’s expected military counteroffensive and discourage Ukrainians.

In the eastern town of Marinka, on the outskirts of the occupied Donetsk city, Ukrainian forces on Monday claimed to have repelled all Russian attacks.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Marinka was the new target of Russian forces in the east.

“Ukrainian defenders repelled all enemy attacks near the town of Marinka. At the same time, the enemy launched an airstrike on the city,” the Ukrainian military said.

The military report said the Russians launched artillery attacks against Marinka and two other municipalities in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Russian Belgorod region, claimed a local energy facility was targeted in a drone attack on Monday.

“One of the power installations is on fire,” Gladkov said. “Nobody was injured. Consumers were not disconnected. Rapid response functions are working on site.”EFE

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