Kiev loses some 500 soldiers in one day during offensive: Russian MoD
Kiev's armed forces have suffered heavy casualties, losing 500 soldiers in just one day in light of the counteroffensive they are waging against Russia.
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Destroyed Ukrainian US-made M2A2 ODS Bradley somewhere on the Zaporozhye front published by Ukrainian soldiers on social media, July 2023 (Telegram)
Ukraine has lost nearly 500 soldiers as a result of offensive attempts in the South Donetsk, Zaparozhye, and Donetsk directions over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
Over the past day, Kiev continued its unsuccessful attempts at an offensive in the South Donetsk, Donetsk, and Zaparozhye directions, the ministry said in a statement.
Ka 52 bonk T64BV pic.twitter.com/WlMlpiPOuA
— ZOKA (@200_zoka) June 20, 2023
Moscow also revealed that Russian troops repelled four attacks by Ukraine near the Vremivka ledge and in the Orikhiv direction.
"The total losses of the enemy in the South Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions over the past day amounted to 260 Ukrainian soldiers, nine tanks, a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, 12 armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, two D-20 howitzers, two Msta-B howitzers, as well as an artillery system M777 made in the US," the ministry said.
ATGMS strike Ukranian armored convoy Zaporozhye pic.twitter.com/C7wBos910U
— ZOKA (@200_zoka) June 20, 2023
Meanwhile, Russian troops fighting in the Donetsk direction successfully repelled 10 Ukrainian attacks near the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka, and Marinka.
"During the fighting, up to 220 Ukrainian military, three armored combat vehicles, seven vehicles, a Msta-B howitzer, and a US-made M777 artillery system were destroyed [in the Donetsk direction]," the defense ministry added.
D-20 hit. pic.twitter.com/RRmP79SuJT
— Gzim Kulufi. (@Mykorola) June 20, 2023
The ministry had said Monday that the Russian Armed Forces successfully repelled two Ukrainian attacks on the village of Mala Tokmachka in Zaparozhe in 24 hours.
"Two enemy attacks were repelled near the village of Mala Tokmachka, Zaporizhzhia Region, during which two tanks, 10 infantry fighting vehicles, and two armored fighting vehicles were hit," the ministry said.
Ukraine's ambitious counteroffensive against Russia - which it launched in a bid to take the lands captured by the country through the war effort - is proving to be quite a difficult task.
The frontline is laden with mines and Russia's advanced defense systems, combined with the lack of air cover on Ukraine's end, have hampered Kiev's effort to take back any land.
After Ukraine's first attacks yielded mixed results, or mostly Ukrainian forces halted their attacks in recent days as commanders drew lessons from the past two weeks and tried to figure out how to penetrate Russian lines without suffering heavy losses, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Ukraine has been hyping its counteroffensive attack, since last year, and although the attack was intended for spring, it was moved to the summer after Ukraine blamed the delay on a lack of weapons.
The Russian defense ministry reported Monday that the Russian forces neutralized 800 Ukrainian soldiers and numerous pieces of equipment and arms.
