Ukrainian forces have had some success near Bakhmut, but have suffered “significant” losses in personnel and heavy equipment, according to US officials quoted by CNN.

Although Kyiv forces were able to outflank the Russians in some areas, they encountered more resistance than expected, according to the report.

Russian troops have prepared powerful defense lines, armed with anti-tank missiles, mortars and grenades, in some areas covered with mines.

Ukraine’s losses include a number of US-supplied MRAP armored personnel carriers, which are designed to counter mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Kyiv did not comment on this message.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar reported on Ukraine’s offensive operations near Bakhmut and “in other places” on June 5. A day later, she announced an offensive of 100–1,600 meters in various areas of the eastern front.

On Thursday, Malyar said that Russian forces tried to go on the offensive around Bakhmut and other areas of Donetsk region, but without success.

The fighting in the east of the country is taking place in conditions where the media reported that Kyiv had launched a long-awaited counteroffensive in the southeast of the Zaporizhzhia region.

Russian Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu said on Thursday that his troops repelled an attack by Ukrainian troops in the Zaporizhzhia region at night.

• “Today at 1:30 a.m. in the Zaporizhzhia region, the enemy tried to break through our defenses with the forces of the 47th separate mechanized brigade numbering up to 1,500 people and 150 armored personnel carriers,” Shoigu said in a message.
• “The enemy was detected in time by our intelligence forces and launched a pre-emptive strike with the forces of our artillery, aviation and with the use of anti-tank weapons.”
• “The enemy is stopped and is retreating with heavy losses,” continued Shoigu, according to whom “the enemy forces specially formed for this breakthrough did not fulfill the task.”
• Also, according to Shoigu, “after a two-hour battle, the enemy lost 30 tanks, 11 BMPs and up to 350 people,” which cannot be verified, but from independent sources.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia released footage of attacks on Ukrainian troops near Malaya Tokmachka, Zaporizhzhia region.

Russia claimed that the counteroffensive had already begun on June 5, adding that its forces had successfully repelled it, without providing evidence, while Ukrainian officials rejected their claim.

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