The Ministry of Defense announced an unsuccessful attempt to break through the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Yuzhnodonetsk direction

On June 4, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) failed to break through the defense of Russian troops in the Yuzhnodonets direction. About it reported in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

The enemy tried to attack near the Oktyabr state farm and near the village of Novodonetskoye, where he brought into “battle up to three battalion tactical groups reinforced with tanks.” By the morning of June 5, Russian troops pushed back the Armed Forces of Ukraine to their original positions. Five Ukrainian servicemen were taken prisoner, the Defense Ministry added.

The department clarified that the enemy suffered significant losses both in equipment and in manpower: only the 31st mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army lost more than 250 military, 16 tanks, more than two dozen armored vehicles.

“The enemy offensive is successfully restrained by the active actions of units, artillery fire and air strikes of the Vostok group of troops,” the Defense Ministry stressed.

Earlier on June 5, the Ministry of Defense reportedthat during an attempted large-scale offensive in the Yuzhnodonetsk direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 300 people and dozens of pieces of equipment in the area of ​​​​the settlements of Neskuchnoye and Novodarovka.

On the night of June 5 in the department toldthat the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the Yuzhnodonets direction. “The goal of the enemy was to break through our defenses on the most vulnerable, in his opinion, sector of the front. The enemy did not achieve his tasks, he had no success, ”added the Defense Ministry.

The counteroffensive of Ukraine is announced in the winter. Some officials say the offensive has already begun, while others say preparations are still ongoing. In particular, on June 3, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Igor Zhovkva, in an interview with The Times, said that Ukraine still lacks weapons for a counteroffensive. Kiev noted that the strikes of the Russian army are depleting the stocks of air defense missiles, including American Patriot systems.

At the same time, the Russian side also speaks about the activation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the front line – in particular, the activation along the line of contact was noted by the acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin in mid-May.