Russia says it thwarted major Ukrainian offensive

The Ukrainian armed forces failed to achieve success in a large-scale offensive on five front sectors in the south Donetsk area, official spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said.

"The adversary launched a large-scale offensive from the morning of June 4 on five sectors of the front in the south Donetsk area by bringing into action 23rd and 31st mechanised brigades from strategic reserves of the Ukrainian armed forces with support from other military units and teams," the spokesman said.

"The adversary's objective was to break through our defense on the most vulnerable front sector, in its opinion. The enemy failed to perform its tasks and had no success," Konashenkov noted.   

The adversary used six mechanised battalions and two tank battalions, the defense ministry's spokesman informed.

"As a result of skilled and sophisticated action of the Battlegroup East, the Ukrainian armed forces lost more than 250 persons, sixteen tanks, three mechanized infantry combat vehicles and 21 combat armored vehicles," Konashenkov stressed.

He particularly noted that Chief of General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov was at one of frontline command posts in this area.

/KN/