MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s defence ministry on Monday said Ukraine had launched an attack in the eastern Donetsk region.
Below is the full text of the statement.
“From the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive on five sectors of the front in the South Donetsk direction with the 23rd and 31st mechanized brigades from the strategic reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the support of other military units and divisions.
“In total, six mechanized and two tank battalions of the enemy were involved.
“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defenses on the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front. The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success.
“As a result of the skillful and competent actions of the ‘Eastern’ grouping of troops, the losses of the Armed Forces amounted to more than 250 personnel, 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored fighting vehicles.
“The commander of the combined group of troops – the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Army General Gerasimov V.V. – was at one of the advanced control points in this direction during this period.”
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by David Ljunggren and Diane Craft)
