Russia says Ukrainian ‘large-scale offensive’ in southern Donetsk area was unsuccessful

The Russian Defense Ministry has reported that on the morning of June 4, the Ukrainian military launched a large-scale offensive in five areas of the front in the southern Donetsk area.

According to the agency, the effort involved six Ukrainian mechanized battalions and two Ukrainian tank battalions.

In a statement released Sunday night, the Russian ministry said the Ukrainian military’s goal was to break through Russia’s defenses at what it believed was the most vulnerable section of the front. “The enemy did not achieve its objectives, it was not successful,” the statement concluded.

Russia said Ukraine lost more than 250 soldiers, 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, and 21 armored vehicles in the attempt.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said that Russian Army General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov “was located at one of the forward command posts in this area” during Ukraine’s offensive.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have not commented on Russia’s report.

Update: The Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate has released a statement in which it says that Russia’s troops are “intensifying their informational-psychological operation.” A Ukrainian army official warned of the “distribution of false information” about Ukrainian and Russian military actions. “For the purpose of demoralizing Ukrainians and misleading people (including its own population), Russian propagandists will spread false information about the counteroffensive, its locations, and Ukrainian military losses. Even if there is no counteroffensive. To this aim, they’ve prepared old videos and photos that show destroyed equipment belonging to dead and captive soldiers. As well as other fake materials,” reads the statement.