Russia’s navy has claimed to have defeated a large-scale Ukrainian assault within the Donetsk area, though it’s not clear whether or not the push marks the beginning of a long-awaited counter-offensive. Kyiv dismissed the claims as Kremlin disinformation.

Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s defence ministry spokesman, mentioned in a video launched early on Monday morning that Ukraine used six mechanised and two tank battalions in an assault the day earlier than.

He added that the Ukrainians had attacked 5 factors within the Russia-controlled Donetsk area within the east of the nation on Sunday.

“The enemy’s purpose was to interrupt by what they noticed as essentially the most weak a part of the entrance,” Konashenkov mentioned. “The enemy didn’t obtain its objectives or have success.”

He claimed Russia’s military killed 250 Ukrainian troopers.

Kyiv has been planning a counter-offensive to win again territory from Russian occupation for a number of months, backed by provides of superior western weaponry equivalent to Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

Ukraine’s Middle for Strategic Communications and Info Safety, a authorities company, described the Russian claims as a false “informational and psychological operation” meant to “demoralise Ukrainians”.

Russia and Ukraine’s conflicting navy claims couldn’t be independently confirmed.

Kyiv has insisted it is not going to announce any main operations upfront, urging warning about reporting information on the counter-offensive from the entrance.

A Ukrainian navy social media video posted this weekend confirmed troopers holding their fingers as much as their lips urging “silence” about navy operations.

On the Russian aspect, Alexander Khodakovsky, commander of a Kremlin-backed volunteer battalion based mostly within the Donetsk area, mentioned Ukraine had tried a breakthrough and captured one place, however “took vital losses” on Sunday.

He added that the assault was “not in itself the promised counter-offensive” however predicted Ukraine may ship extra items to assault if the push was profitable.

Russia’s defence ministry has typically made inflated claims of its success.

Its PR-conscious armed forces have been below specific fireplace in current weeks after Ukraine-backed forces uncovered weak Russian defences alongside the frontline in Belgorod area.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founding father of the infamous paramilitary group Wagner, has additionally stepped up a months-long public spat with the Russian defence ministry’s management.

The defence ministry mentioned the invasion’s chief commander, Valery Gerasimov, who has been one of many essential targets of Prigozhin’s ire, was “at one of many frontline command factors” through the preventing.