- By George Wright in London and James Waterhouse in Kyiv
- BBC news
Russia’s defense ministry says it has thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in Donetsk, which it claims has killed 250 troops and destroyed armored vehicles.
Video of what Russia says is the battle appears to show military vehicles coming under heavy fire in fields.
Russia’s claim has not been verified, and Ukraine’s military says the country is spreading disinformation.
A Ukrainian counter-offensive has long been expected but Kyiv has said it will not give advance warning of its start.
But with Ukraine claiming to have made small gains elsewhere on the front line, there has been a dramatic increase in military activity.
The latest reports are seen as a new sign that the expected Ukrainian offensive may have begun.
Russia’s defense ministry said Ukraine launched a “massive offensive” in the Donetsk region on Sunday with six mechanized and two tank battalions.
It claimed that the Ukrainians had tried to breach Russian defenses in what Kyiv saw as the weakest part of the front line – but it “did not achieve its tasks, it did not succeed”.
Moscow claimed that Ukraine lost 250 troops as well as 16 tanks.
The claims of the Russian defense ministry have not been verified.
If the footage of the armored vehicles coming under heavy fire is true, then it shows the stiff resistance Ukrainian forces will face as they try to liberate more territory.
And if it’s not what it is, it’s another attempt by Moscow to control the narrative.
There is a significant increase in the Ukrainian message about when and how their expected counter-offensive may take shape.
On Monday morning, the Ukrainian military said on Telegram that Russia was “intensifying its information and psychological operations” regarding operations in Ukraine.
Ukraine has been planning a counter-offensive for months. But it wants as much time as possible to train troops and receive military equipment from Western allies.
Officials in Kyiv cautioned against public speculation about the offensive, saying it could help the enemy.
“The plans love silence. There is no announcement of the start,” said the defense ministry in a video posted on Telegram on Sunday. Its footage shows masked and armed troops holding their fingers to their lips.
It takes time for Ukraine to achieve its goal of liberating the territory that was taken by Russia nine years ago.
And Moscow has time to prepare. This means if Ukraine is able to mount a counter-offensive, it will take some time.
Much is at stake as the government in Kyiv needs to show the people of Ukraine – and its Western allies – that it can break through Russian lines, end its effective military crackdown and regain some of its sovereignty. territory.
The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said troops were “moving forward” towards Bakhmut and destroyed a Russian position near the town.
The claim was made by the Liberty of Russia Legion (FRL), which described the announcement as a joint statement by the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK).
Both groups want to overthrow President Vladimir Putin. They opposed the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that he launched in February last year.
Belgorod’s top official, Vyacheslav Gladkov, responded by saying he had agreed to meet the men’s captors if the soldiers were still alive. But the fighters later said that the governor “did not find the courage” to meet them and they would hand over their captives to Ukraine.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for recent attacks on its border territories, but Kyiv has denied direct involvement.
Authorities in Belgorod said an energy plant was on fire after a drone attack on Monday morning.
And in Russia’s Kaluga region – which borders the southern districts around Moscow – governor Vladislav Shapsha said two drones had fallen on a main road. Mr Shapsha said there was no explosion and the area was now cordoned off.
There has been no independent confirmation of any attack, but Moscow says the Belgorod region is a frequent target of drone attacks from Ukraine.