Russia says it thwarted major Ukrainian offensive, Kyiv says Moscow spreads lies
MOSCOW, June 5 (Reuters) – Russia mentioned on Monday its forces had thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive at 5 factors alongside the entrance within the Ukrainian area of Donetsk and killed lots of of troops whereas Ukraine accused Moscow of spreading lies.
It was not instantly clear whether or not or not the assault represented the beginning of a Ukrainian counteroffensive which Kyiv has been promising for months to drive out Russian forces after the invasion of February 2022.
Russia’s defence ministry mentioned Ukraine had attacked on Sunday morning with six mechanised and two tank battalions in southern Donetsk, the place Moscow has lengthy suspected Ukraine would search to drive a wedge by way of Russian-controlled territory.
“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 defence ministry mentioned in a press release posted on Telegram at 1:30 a.m. Moscow time (2230 GMT).
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defences in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” it mentioned. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success.”
Reuters was unable to right away confirm the Russian assertion and the Ukrainian defence ministry and army didn’t instantly reply to written requests for remark.
The commander of Ukraine’s floor forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, mentioned on Monday that Ukrainian forces continued “moving forward” close to the long-contested metropolis of Bakhmut in northern Donetsk. He made no touch upon the counter-offensive.
The day by day report from Ukraine’s General Staff mentioned solely that there have been 29 fight clashes within the Donetsk and Luhansk areas of jap Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications didn’t handle the Russian assertion immediately however mentioned, with out offering proof, that Russia would search to unfold lies.
“To demoralize Ukrainians and mislead the community (including their own population), Russian propagandists will spread false information about the counteroffensive, its directions, and the losses of the Ukrainian army,” it mentioned.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov revealed a cryptic message on Twitter on Sunday, quoting Depeche Mode’s observe “Enjoy the Silence”.
Russian warfare bloggers reported preventing at a number of factors throughout the entrance, notably round Vuhledar, some 150 km (93 miles) southwest of Bakhmut.
FIGHTING
Russia’s defence ministry launched video of what it mentioned confirmed a number of Ukrainian armoured automobiles in a area blowing up after being hit.
Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian troops in addition to destroying 16 tanks, three infantry preventing automobiles and 21 armoured fight automobiles, the ministry mentioned.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who’s answerable for Moscow’s army operation in Ukraine, was within the space on the time of the Ukrainian assault, the ministry mentioned.
Prominent Russian army blogger Semyon Pegov, who blogs underneath the title War Gonzo, mentioned Ukrainian forces had been attacking close to Velyka Novosilka, a village west of Vuhledar.
“There is a tough fight going on.”
Other Russian army bloggers reported additionally heavy preventing on Monday morning close to Bakhmut, close by Soledar and Vuhledar. Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the stories.
COUNTER-OFFENSIVE?
For months, Ukraine has been getting ready for a counter-offensive towards Russian forces which officers in Kyiv and CIA Director William Burns have mentioned will pierce Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hubris.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy instructed the Wall Street Journal in an interview revealed on Saturday that he was able to launch the counteroffensive however tempered a forecast of success with a warning that it may take a while and are available at a heavy price.
“I don’t know how long it will take,” he instructed The Journal. “To be honest, it can go a variety of ways, completely different. But we are going to do it, and we are ready.”
After searching for tens of billions of {dollars} of Western weapons to combat Russian forces, the success or failure of the counter-offensive is more likely to affect the form of future Western diplomatic and army help for Ukraine.
Ukraine has in current weeks sought to weaken Russian positions however its particular plans have been shrouded in secrecy as it seeks to strike one more blow towards the a lot bigger army of Russia.
Moscow was final month struck by drones which Russia mentioned was a Ukrainian terrorist assault whereas pro-Ukrainian forces have repeatedly crossed into Russia correct in current days within the Belgorod area.
After a two-month lull, Russia has launched lots of of drones and missiles on Ukraine since early May, mainly on Kyiv, with Ukraine saying it was focusing on army services but in addition hitting residential areas.
WAR IN UKRAINE
Putin despatched troops into Ukraine on February 24 final 12 months in what the Kremlin anticipated to be swift operation however its forces suffered a sequence of defeats and needed to transfer again and regroup in swathes of jap Ukraine.
Russia now controls not less than 18% of what’s internationally recognised to be Ukrainian territory, and has claimed 4 areas of Ukraine as Russian territory.
For months, tens of 1000’s of Russian troops have been digging in alongside a entrance line which stretches for round 600 miles (1,000km), bracing for a Ukrainian assault which is anticipated to attempt to reduce Russia’s so-called land bridge to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Ukraine vows to eject each final Russian soldier from its territory, and casts the invasion as an imperial-style land seize by Russia.
Russia says the West is preventing a hybrid warfare towards Russia to sow discord and in the end carve up Russia’s huge pure sources, allegations that Western leaders deny.
Writing by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow, Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; enhancing by Diane Craft, Lincoln Feast and Philippa Fletcher
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
