kyiv forces have begun their long-awaited counter-offensive to retake the occupied territory, according to Russian sources on social and state media.
Andrey Rudenko, a correspondent for Russia’s state television channel Rossiya 24, said Ukraine had launched a tank offensive in the direction of Zaporozhzhia that was repelled by Russian troops. He added that Ukraine had “many badly wounded troops on the battlefield.”
Vladimir Rogov, an official with the Russian-backed administration of the partially occupied oblast, told the soloviov live program: “In my opinion, there has been an attempt at a full-scale offensive for three days, even four” in the Zaporizhzhia region.
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He said that overnight on Wednesday, Ukrainian forces had likely used US-supplied HIMARS systems to open fire on the town of Tokmak, the Tass news agency reported.
Russian sources on Telegram also noted that there was an increase in fire and assault positions in the Zaporizhzhia direction, with Ukrainian tanks attacking Moscow positions and reports of continued shelling, according to the War Translated Twitter account.
Another milblogger said: “We can already talk about the start of the offensive announced by Ukraine for so long.”
Russian state media war correspondent Alexander Sladkov wrote on Telegram on Thursday that it was difficult for Ukrainian soldiers to accept the signal to attack “knowing that there are mines ahead, impregnable trenches” as well as Russian soldiers “who are not going to backing out”. .”
The Russian Storm Z unit with the call sign Ali told Tass that Ukrainian forces had attempted a breakthrough on the village of Lobkove with at least 20 military vehicles and 100 infantry, but were “repelled” and suffered losses.
news week has contacted the Ukrainian Defense Ministry about the Russian claims. On Wednesday, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, said Moscow’s claims that the counteroffensive had begun were “not true.”
Danilov said that Russian officials had mistaken Ukrainian advances in some frontline areas for the start of a larger operation and that when Ukraine launches its push, “everyone will know.”
Following promises of military support from the West, the stakes are high in the counteroffensive, although kyiv is playing its cards close to its chest on the push.
Former Australian Army General Mick Ryan said in a Substack post on Thursday that the Ukrainian operations taking place around Bakhmut and in southern Ukraine “seem to confirm that the H-hour for the 2023 Ukrainian offensive is likely to be over.” arrived”.
In comments sent by email to news weekAndriy Zagorodnyuk, a member of the Atlantic Council and former Ukraine’s defense minister, said the first actions by Ukrainian forces have focused on Bakhmut, whose control Russia has claimed.
Zagorodnyuk said the Ukraine surrounding the city of Donetsk would “deny the Russians the opportunity to use the benefits of capturing the territory and they would prepare to eventually retake it.”
When the Kiev counter-offensive begins, Zagorodnyuk said: “We will see full use of the brigades trained and equipped for that operation and, of course, the scale of operational activities will be much higher.”