Shoigu: Ukraine’s counter-offensive failed. On Tuesday, Russia’s defense minister said his forces had stopped the first three days of a Ukrainian counter-offensive, which had killed or wounded almost 3,700 Ukrainian soldiers.
In an extraordinarily thorough statement, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed both sides lost. Ukraine has kept its long-anticipated counter-offensive a secret, and Reuters could not independently verify battlefield claims.
“In the past three days, the Ukrainian regime launched a long-promised offensive in different sectors of the front,” Shoigu stated.
“The enemy was stopped,” he continued. “The enemy did not achieve its goals but suffered significant and incomparable losses.”
Over three days, Ukraine lost 3,715 troops, 52 tanks, and 207 armored vehicles. Battles cost Russia 71 soldiers and 210 wounded. He reported 15 Russian tanks and nine armored vehicles lost.
On Monday, Russia said Ukraine had begun its long-awaited counter-offensive by trying to pierce the Russian lines in the south of Donetsk.
Shoigu claimed Ukraine attacked seven front sites on Monday, losing almost 1,600 men.
Ukraine called Russian claims false but did not provide information on the strikes or their impact.
Shoigu accused Ukraine of damaging the Kakhovka dam in the south early Tuesday to mask an offensive redeployment.
“The Kyiv regime committed another terrorist crime: the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power plant was blown up, which led to the flooding of significant territories,” Shoigu stated.
Ukraine and its Western allies suspect Russia blew up the dam.
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