Russia said its forces repelled all Ukrainian military advances in Zaporozhye and south of Donetsk. While the Ukrainian army said it had made progress in the Bakhmut region of eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that the country’s military counterattack had begun.
The Ukrainian army lost nine tanks, including four German Panther tanks, during Russian forces repelling attacks in Zaporozhye and southern Donetsk, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
The Russian spokesman added that Ukraine lost 300 troops and nine tanks, including four Panther tanks, on the last day.
According to the same spokesman, on the same day, the Russian army repelled five Ukrainian attacks in the Klychevka and Dubovo-Vasylivka areas south of Donetsk, killing more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers. Meanwhile, Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet in the Platonovka area of the Donbass region that forms part of Luhansk.
The Russian Ministry of Defense released photos of what it said were the extent of the destruction of Ukrainian equipment during the clashes south of Donetsk, saying 12 US-made Bradley tanks were completely destroyed.
The Ukrainian army, on the other hand, acknowledged losses but said the Russian army had deliberately exaggerated the facts.
bachmut front
Ukrainian troops advanced about 1,400 meters from different directions to the Bahmut area, taking advantage of the Russian army’s defense change there, said Sherhi Cherevati, spokesman for the Eastern Ukrainian Combat Command. Cherevati added that his troops had killed 138 Russian soldiers and Russia continued to bomb Ukrainian army positions and towns around Bakhmut.
And in Zaporizhia region in southern Ukraine, Tavria region commander Oleksandr Tarnavsky said his troops fought more than 1,400 troops in the state’s southern Talasivka region. A bombardment and missile attack caused 7 Russian companies to be killed or injured.
Tarnavsky added that 72 pieces of Russian military equipment were destroyed, including 19 tanks, as well as three ammunition depots.
On Saturday, June 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sent his strongest signal yet that the alleged Ukrainian attack was underway.
Zelensky said that counterattack and defensive measures are being taken, but he remained silent on the process and details of the attack.
Ukraine has said for months that it planned a major counteroffensive to retake Russian-held territories in the south and east. But it has kept the counter-offensive operation strictly under wraps and has denied that it has embarked on a major operation.
On the other hand, for the past 6 days, the Russian army has been talking about large-scale attacks on its positions, especially on the southern front (Zaporozhye), where weapons sent by Western countries are being used.
In related context, Vladislav Shapsha, the governor of the Kaluga region north of the Russian capital Moscow, said a drone crashed near the village of Strelkovka in the early hours of Sunday 11. The governor added, “Based on preliminary information, no one was injured.”
Medvedev’s threat
On Saturday, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, threatened strikes against European countries if NATO forces sided with Ukraine in its war.
The warning by Russian officials was a comment on a statement by former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen that some NATO members might send troops to Ukraine individually.
Medvedev asked whether the opinions of the residents of these countries would be taken into account if “steps like this are taken”.