250 Ukraine troops die in ‘failed counterstrike’
RUSSIA claimed to have thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in Donestk, killing 250 troops.
It came as Kyiv confirmed it was moving to “offensive operations” in what many believe to be the start of the counterstrike – as UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met President Volodymr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces had launched the “large-scale” push to reclaim land in the eastern region using six mechanised and two tank battalions.
Captured
But they were beaten back when they tried to push through Russian defences, according to Kremlin defence chiefs.
They said Kyiv “did not achieve its tasks, it had no success”, claiming Ukraine lost 16 tanks in addition to troops.
A counter-offensive has been planned for months but Ukraine wanted time to train troops and receive military equipment from Western allies. Officials in Kyiv warned against public speculation, saying it could help the enemy.
The defence ministry said in a video: “Plans love silence.”
Yesterday, Ukraine’s ground forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said troops were “moving forward” towards Bakhmut having destroyed a Russian position nearby.
And they stepped up the shelling of Russia’s Belgorod region, forcing officials to try and relocate thousands more civilians.
Two people were killed the previous night and hundreds of children were evacuated away from the border, governor of Belgorod Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
In a separate Belgorod development, Russian fighters opposed to the Moscow government yesterday said they had captured several Kremlin soldiers during a crossborder raid and would hand them over to Ukrainian authorities.