The Russian Ministry of Defense announced early Monday (local time) that Russian forces thwarted a major Ukrainian attack in the Donetsk region of southern Ukraine, killing hundreds of troops loyal to Kyiv. The ministry stated that Ukraine launched its offensive on Sunday using six mechanized battalions and two tank battalions. The ministry said on the Telegram app, "On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale attack on five sectors of the front in the direction of southern Donetsk."
It remains unclear whether the mentioned attack represents the official start of the widely anticipated counteroffensive by Ukraine to reclaim some territories occupied by Russian forces since the invasion began in February 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated, "The enemy's goal was to penetrate our defenses from what it believed to be the weakest sector of the front. The enemy did not achieve its objectives and was unsuccessful." The ministry reported that Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian troops and destroyed 16 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, and 21 armored combat vehicles. The ministry noted that the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, was in the area where the Ukrainian attack took place.
In response, the Ukrainian military reported on Monday that it "has no information regarding the major attack that Russia claims Kyiv launched on five points along the front lines in the Donetsk region." A spokesperson for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated, "We do not have such information and do not comment on any kind of lies."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba mentioned in an interview with Reuters on Monday that Ukraine now possesses enough weapons to launch a counteroffensive, but he refrained from commenting when asked whether this attack had already begun. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar stated that "Russia's claims about Ukraine launching a counteroffensive aim to divert attention from the losses Moscow has suffered around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which both sides have been contesting for a long time." She added that Ukraine is "shifting to offensive actions" in some areas along the front line but declined to comment on whether this is part of a larger operation.
Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that his country's forces continue to "advance" near the city of Bakhmut.
