Russia Says It Thwarted Major Ukrainian Offensive, Killed Hundreds in Donbass Region

In a statement released on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it had foiled a significant offensive by Ukrainian forces in the Donbass region, killing hundreds of enemy soldiers. According to the ministry, the Ukrainian army had launched an attack with the intention of “provoking the Russian side into military action.”

The statement also accused the Ukrainian army of targeting civilians and residential areas. The defense ministry said that Russian troops had responded with “precision strikes” against the Ukrainian positions and that the situation in the area had returned to normal.

The Ukrainian government has not commented on the allegations made by the Russian defense ministry, but a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military denied any recent offensive in the area.

The Donbass region has been the site of a conflict between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists since 2014, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. The conflict has been largely stagnant in recent months, with occasional clashes along the front lines.

The Russian government has repeatedly denied involvement in the conflict, despite evidence to the contrary. The international community has called on Russia to withdraw its troops and end its support for the separatists, but little progress has been made towards a resolution of the conflict.