Russian Defense Minister Serhii Shoigu said on Thursday that his troops repelled an offensive by Ukrainian troops in the Zaporizhia region in southern Ukraine overnight.
“Today at 01:30 (22:30 GMT) in the Zaporozhye 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,” the minister noted. AFP, Reuters and Agerpres said in a statement.
“The enemy was detected in time by our reconnaissance forces and launched a pre-emptive strike with our artillery, aviation and anti-tank weapons,” added Shoigu.
“The enemy is stopped and is retreating with heavy losses,” the minister continued, according to whom “the enemy forces specially formed for this breakthrough did not fulfill their 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 Zaporizhia region is part of the so-called “land bridge” to Crimea
The Ukrainian authorities have not yet officially mentioned these events.
For several months, Kyiv has said it is preparing a large-scale counteroffensive against Russian forces to retake Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow, including Crimea, a peninsula annexed in 2014.
According to some observers, the first signals of this long-awaited assault are the intensification of “offensive actions” carried out by Kyiv along the front line in recent weeks.
The Zaporizhia region, which is 80% controlled by Russian troops, is part of the so-called “land bridge” – a stretch of land that connects the Russian-controlled territory of Donbas in eastern Ukraine with Crimea.
The destruction of this land bridge is considered by many as one of the main goals of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
READ ALSO:
-
Washington Post: Ukraine has launched a long-awaited counteroffensive
- PHOTO. The first shots of Ukraine in the counteroffensive: Leopard tanks and American Bradley armored vehicles at the front / Recorded losses
___
- Follow the latest events of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HotNews.ro
Source: Hot News
James Springer is a renowned author and opinion writer, known for his bold and thought-provoking articles on a wide range of topics. He currently works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he uses his unique voice and sharp wit to offer fresh perspectives on current events. His articles are widely read and shared and has earned him a reputation as a talented and insightful writer.