Ukraine had been planning its counterattack for months
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had thwarted a “large-scale” Ukrainian offensive in the Donetsk region, killing 250 soldiers and destroying armored vehicles.
A video clip, which Russia says appears to be a battle, showed military vehicles under heavy fire in the fields.
However, there was no comment from Kiev, and Russia’s claim could not be independently verified.
The counterattack that Ukraine has been talking about has long been overdue, but Kiev says it will not give advance warning of the start of the attack.
It is not clear if the attacks mentioned indicate that a new set of offensives to retake Ukrainian territory from Russian forces has begun in earnest.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine launched a “large-scale offensive” in the Donetsk region on Sunday using six motorized infantry battalions and two tank battalions.
She added that the Ukrainians tried to penetrate the Russian defenses, while Kiev considered it the weakest part of the front line, and added: “The enemy did not accomplish its tasks and did not succeed.”
Moscow claimed that Ukraine lost 250 soldiers and 16 tanks.
news/240/cpsprodpb/C74B/production/_129991015_28c98dbd-741a-40c3-8c0f-1cd8b9d2cfa0.jpg 240w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/C74B/production/_129991015_28c98dbd-741a-40c3-8c0f-1cd8b9d2cfa0.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/C74B/production/_129991015_28c98dbd-741a-40c3-8c0f-1cd8b9d2cfa0.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/C74B/production/_129991015_28c98dbd-741a-40c3-8c0f-1cd8b9d2cfa0.jpg 624w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/C74B/production/_129991015_28c98dbd-741a-40c3-8c0f-1cd8b9d2cfa0.jpg 800w" alt="لوحة كتب عليها "بيلغورود، مدينة المجد العسكري" تظهر على مدخل مدينة بيلغورود الروسية، على بعد حوالي 40 كم من الحدود مع أوكرانيا، في 28 مايو 2023." attribution="Getty Images" layout="responsive" src="https://i0.wp.com/ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/C74B/production/_129991015_28c98dbd-741a-40c3-8c0f-1cd8b9d2cfa0.jpg?resize=976%2C549&ssl=1" height="549" width="976" data-recalc-dims="1" />
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The Belgorod region has witnessed a series of attacks in recent weeks, most notably a major incursion across the border late last month, which Moscow said ended with the killing of 70 attackers.
Ukraine had been planning for months to launch a counterattack. But she wanted as much time as possible to train her troops and receive military equipment from the Western allies.
Kiev officials cautioned against spreading speculation about the attack, saying it could help the enemy.
“Plans love silence,” the defense ministry said in a video, posted to Telegram on Sunday. “There will be no announcement of the start of the offensive.”
The footage showed masked and armed soldiers putting their fingers to their lips.
The government in Kiev needs to show the people of Ukraine, and its Western allies, that it can break through Russian lines, end the military impasse, and reclaim some of its sovereign territory.
news/240/cpsprodpb/CA0C/production/_129842715_16b92fae7df5e12bc3a97f6190fd954161879d440_258_1080_6071000x563.jpg 240w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/CA0C/production/_129842715_16b92fae7df5e12bc3a97f6190fd954161879d440_258_1080_6071000x563.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/CA0C/production/_129842715_16b92fae7df5e12bc3a97f6190fd954161879d440_258_1080_6071000x563.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/CA0C/production/_129842715_16b92fae7df5e12bc3a97f6190fd954161879d440_258_1080_6071000x563.jpg 624w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/CA0C/production/_129842715_16b92fae7df5e12bc3a97f6190fd954161879d440_258_1080_6071000x563.jpg 800w" alt="عناصر من قوات المتطوعين الروس التي تشارك في القتال في أوكرانيا" attribution="Archyde.com" layout="responsive" src="https://i0.wp.com/ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/CA0C/production/_129842715_16b92fae7df5e12bc3a97f6190fd954161879d440_258_1080_6071000x563.jpg?resize=976%2C549&ssl=1" height="549" width="976" data-recalc-dims="1" />
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Elements of the Russian volunteer forces taking part in the fighting in Ukraine
The commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, Oleksandr Sersky, said Monday morning that the forces were “advancing” towards Bakhmut and destroyed a Russian position near the city.
Elsewhere, anti-government fighters in Moscow said they captured some Russian soldiers in Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine.
The claim was made by the Freedom Corps of Russia (FRL), which described the announcement as a joint statement with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK).
Both groups want to overthrow President Vladimir Putin. They oppose the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that he launched in February last year.
The chief Belgorod official, Vyacheslav Gladkov, responded by saying that he had agreed to meet the captors of the men if the soldiers were still alive.
news/240/cpsprodpb/11FBA/production/_129985637_7a64b57f942a826164d6ebe75b7fdc3f590b21ed0_122_2048_11521000x563.jpg 240w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/11FBA/production/_129985637_7a64b57f942a826164d6ebe75b7fdc3f590b21ed0_122_2048_11521000x563.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/11FBA/production/_129985637_7a64b57f942a826164d6ebe75b7fdc3f590b21ed0_122_2048_11521000x563.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/11FBA/production/_129985637_7a64b57f942a826164d6ebe75b7fdc3f590b21ed0_122_2048_11521000x563.jpg 624w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/11FBA/production/_129985637_7a64b57f942a826164d6ebe75b7fdc3f590b21ed0_122_2048_11521000x563.jpg 800w" alt="عمال الطوارئ ينقذون رجلاً من حطام مبنى بأوكرانيا" attribution="State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Archyde.com" layout="responsive" src="https://i0.wp.com/ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/11FBA/production/_129985637_7a64b57f942a826164d6ebe75b7fdc3f590b21ed0_122_2048_11521000x563.jpg?resize=976%2C549&ssl=1" height="549" width="976" data-recalc-dims="1" />
image copyright State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Archyde.com
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Pictures released by Ukrainian officials showed rescuers pulling victims from the rubble
However, the fighters later said that the governor “didn’t find the courage” to meet them and that they would hand over their captives to Ukraine.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for the recent attacks on its border lands, but Kiev denies direct involvement.
Authorities in Belgorod said a power station had caught fire following a drone attack on Monday morning.
In Russia’s Kaluga region, which borders the southern regions around Moscow, Vladislav Shapsha, the region’s governor, said two drones crashed on a main road.
Shabsha added that there was no explosion, and that the area is now cordoned off.
There has been no independent confirmation of either attack, but Moscow says the Belgorod region has been the usual target of Ukrainian drone attacks.