Russia says it repelled ‘large-scale Ukrainian offensive’
Russia said on Monday it had pushed back a “Massive Offensive” in the Donbass, without kyiv, which has announced for months that it is preparing a major counter-offensive, immediately confirming that it has carried out this operation.
“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a full-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the direction of southern Donestk Oblast”said the Russian Ministry of Defense in a press release, without specifying the exact place of the battle. “The enemy has not achieved his goal, he has not succeeded”he added, accompanying his announcement with a video showing what is presented as Ukrainian armored vehicles filmed from the air being destroyed by Russian forces.
Also according to the ministry, the chief of staff of the Russian army, General Valeri Guerasimov, “was during this period at one of the forward command posts in this direction”.
General Gerasimov, appointed in January “commander of the combined troop grouping” deployed in Ukraine, is regularly the target of criticism or insults from the boss of the paramilitary group Wagner, Evgueni Prigojine. The latter accuses him of being responsible, together with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, for ” tens of thousands “ of Russian fighters killed or injured in Ukraine, in particular by depriving them of ammunition.
Also according to the Russian ministry, the Ukrainian army led this offensive with six mechanized battalions and two tank battalions.
The Ukrainian authorities did not immediately mention these events. kyiv has been claiming for months to prepare a major counter-offensive against Russian forces. In published video On Sunday, the Ukrainian military appeared to call on soldiers to remain silent, and said there would be no announcement about the start of the long-awaited offensive.