Russia: large-scale Ukrainian offensive in the Donetsk region
Russia’s defense ministry announced on Monday morning that its forces had thwarted a large Ukrainian attack on eastern Donetsk province, though it was unclear whether this was the start of a counter-offensive by Kiev’s armed forces. The ministry said in a morning video that its forces repelled a “large-scale” Ukrainian attack on Sunday at five points in southern Donetsk, one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed last fall.
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in his opinion, sector of the front,” said ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. “The enemy has not achieved his goals. It wasn’t successful,” he added. Konashenkov also reported that 250 Ukrainian military personnel were killed and 16 Ukrainian tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored fighting vehicles were destroyed.
Ukraine has not commented and often waits until its military operations are completed to confirm its actions, in the process imposing a press blackout. It is unclear why the Russian Defense Ministry waited until Monday morning to announce the attack, which it said actually started on Sunday morning.