Donestk: Russia claims to repel major Ukrainian attack; Kyiv laughs it off | Oneindia News

In perhaps one of the largest setbacks for Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia, Russia's Defense Ministry has said that its forces have thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian territories that Russia annexed last September, along with Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson.

The ministry said that Kyiv had used six mechanized and two tank battalions in this offensive all of which had been successfully pushed back.

It also added that Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian troops and destroyed dozens of tanks and vehicles.

The ministry statement named the Ukrainian units involved as the 23rd and 31st mechanised brigades in the attack.

A two-brigade deployment would represent a significant attack but is not itself a fully sized breakthrough force.

Although, it has to be noted that Moscow's claims about the pushback and number of fatalities it caused to Ukrainian troops have not been verified, and it is still unclear whether the alleged attack was part of Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive to recapture territories taken by Russia.

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