Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar alleged that Russian forces had launched attacks on Ukrainian troops across multiple fronts, indicating an apparent attempt to take the lead. Despite the Ukrainian counteroffensive in recent weeks, no significant changes have been observed on the frontlines.
Anna stated in a Telegram post that Moscow had mobilized additional forces and initiated an “active offensive” operation in the Krasny Liman and Kupyansk regions. She added that Russian troops were actively trying to seize the initiative from Ukrainian forces, subjecting them to intense shelling.
Malyar further noted that the Russian troops aimed to reach the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. In the northern part of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Krasny Liman is a town held by Ukraine. At the same time, Kupyansk is situated in the eastern part of the Kharkiv region, near the border of the Lugansk People’s Republic, and serves as a significant railway junction.
According to Anna, the Russian command had concentrated substantial forces in the area, including elite airborne assault units. Ukrainian forces have managed to thwart advancement attempts thus far, she claimed.
The Russian Defense Ministry refrained from commenting on these statements and did not announce offensive actions. However, in a daily briefing on Monday, the ministry stated that Russian forces had halted two Ukrainian reconnaissance and sabotage groups on the Kupyansk front. The ministry reported that Ukraine had lost up to 45 soldiers, three infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and a self-propelled artillery piece provided by Poland.
On the Krasny Liman front, Russian aviation and artillery targeted Ukrainian troop positions in three areas, according to the ministry’s statement on Telegram. Ukrainian forces suffered significant losses, including 150 servicemen, two IFVs, armoured vehicles, two self-propelled howitzers, and regular howitzers.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukrainian forces had also incurred heavy casualties, stating that approximately 7,500 Ukrainian troops had been killed or injured since June 4.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had asserted that Ukraine had lost up to 30% of the military equipment supplied to them by Western countries.
