The Russian Ministry of Defense said that its forces had killed more than 250 Ukrainian troops in what it described as a push by Kyiv in the Donetsk region.
Moscow has said its forces have killed hundreds of Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk region after repelling a « major offensive » in that part of Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense [MOD] said in a Telegram post on Sunday that Ukraine had launched « a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the south Donetsk region. »
Former British Army intelligence officer Philip Ingram said the first phase of Ukraine’s counteroffensive had started a few weeks ago. In it, Kyiv prepared the battlespace and attacked Russia’s logistic nodes, command posts and air defense.
« This is the reconnaissance phase, » he said. « When Ukrainian plans around the optimal locations for the main attacks have been confirmed, then it will move to the next phase. »
Sunday’s statement from Russia’s MOD said: « The enemy’s goal was to break through Russia’s defenses in what it considered to be the most vulnerable area of the front.
