The Ukrainian military said Monday it had no information about a major offensive that Russia said was launched by Kyiv at five points along the front line in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

The Ukrainian military fired a 120 mm mortar from a forest near BakhmutPhoto: Jose Hernandez / Shutterstock / Profimedia

“We do not have such information and do not comment on any fakes,” said the spokesman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in response to questions from Reuters.

The Russian military announced on the night from Sunday to Monday that their forces repelled a “large-scale offensive” by the Ukrainian army in Donbas on Sunday morning, AFP reports.

“On the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a major offensive on five sections of the front in the southern direction of Donetsk region. The enemy did not achieve his goal, he did not succeed,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

Six mechanized battalions and two tank battalions took part in the offensive, the military department added.

In a video published by the ministry on Telegram, it can be seen how Ukrainian armored vehicles allegedly destroyed by Russian troops were taken from the air.

According to Reuters, the ministry claims that Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 16 tanks and more than 20 armored vehicles, News.ro notes.

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“Tough Fight”

The head of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, who manages Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, was in the zone of Ukrainian shelling, the agency reported.

Some prominent Russian military bloggers, including Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the pseudonym War Gonzo, reported heavy fighting Monday morning in Russian-controlled areas.

Pegov reported that Ukrainian forces attacked near Velika Novosilka, Donetsk region.

A tough battle is going on,” Pegov wrote.

Other Russian military bloggers also reported heavy fighting Monday morning near Bakhmut, near Soledar and Vugledar in Donetsk region. Reuters says it cannot independently verify the information.

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