Ukraine denies launching counterattack on Russian defense lines

The Ukrainian military said it had no information about a major counter-offensive south of Donetsk announced earlier by the Russian Defense Ministry .

"We have no such information and will not comment on fake news in any form," a spokesman for the Ukrainian military's general staff said today, when asked to comment on Moscow's announcement that it had stopped Kiev's major counterattack on the southern Donetsk front, killing hundreds of enemy soldiers.

"The war will continue until we achieve total victory," said Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, in response to a question about whether this was the start of a long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive to retake some of the Russian-controlled territory after more than a year of fighting.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said that "Russian data on the fighting situation should not be trusted".

Ukraine denies launching counterattack on Russian defense lines — A suspected Ukrainian armored vehicle is destroyed in a video released by Russia today. Video: *Zvezda*

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Ukraine mobilized six motorized infantry battalions and two tank battalions in a counteroffensive in five areas of the southern Donetsk front on June 4, but suffered significant losses in the Neskuchnoye and Novodarovka areas of Zaporizhzhia province.

"The enemy's goal was to break through the defense line in the most vulnerable area from their point of view. The enemy could not complete the task, could not succeed. They lost about 300 soldiers, 16 tanks, 26 infantry fighting vehicles and 14 motor vehicles," the Russian military statement said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov was present at the forward command bunker in the fighting area, and released a video showing several vehicles believed to belong to the Ukrainian army being attacked, exploding and burning fiercely.

The situation of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Graphics: WP

In a previously published interview, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to act, but did not mention the attack in his regular video address on the evening of June 4.

Ukraine and the West have repeatedly talked about a major counter-offensive campaign in the hope of retaking many areas controlled by Russia. The Ukrainian army has been trying to probe and weaken the enemy’s defenses in recent weeks, but has also tried to lower expectations due to concerns that what happens may not go as expected.

Vu Anh (According to Zvezda, Reuters )

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