Russia says it thwarted major Ukrainian offensive

Russia's defence ministry says it has thwarted a large Ukrainian violative and killed 250 Ukrainian troops.

There has been nary remark from Kyiv and the Russian assertion has not been independently verified.

The ministry said Ukraine had launched the violative successful the Donetsk portion connected Sunday utilizing six mechanised and 2 vessel battalions.

A Ukrainian counter-offensive has been promised, but connected Sunday, Kyiv called for soundlessness up of the operation.

It is arsenic yet unclear whether the alleged attacks bespeak that the violative to recapture Ukrainian onshore from Russian forces has started.

"On the greeting of 4 June, the force launched a large-scale violative successful 5 sectors of the beforehand successful the South Donetsk direction," the Russian defence ministry said connected Telegram.

The ministry said the Ukrainians tried to interruption done Russian defences successful what Kyiv saw arsenic the astir susceptible portion of the frontline.

"The force did not execute its tasks, it had nary success."

Video posted showed subject vehicles being attacked from the air. Moscow claimed Ukraine had mislaid 250 troops arsenic good arsenic 16 tanks.

Ukraine has been readying a counter-offensive for months. But it has wanted arsenic overmuch clip arsenic imaginable to bid troops and to person subject instrumentality from Western allies.

Officials successful Kyiv person warned against nationalist speculation implicit the offensive, saying it could assistance the enemy.

"Plans emotion silence. There volition beryllium nary announcement of the start," the defence ministry said successful a video posted to Telegram connected Sunday.

The footage featured masked and well-armed troops holding their fingers against their lips.

Much is astatine involvement due to the fact that the authorities successful Kyiv needs to amusement the radical of Ukraine - and Western allies - that it tin interruption done Russian lines, extremity the effectual subject deadlock and recapture immoderate of its sovereign territory.

The assertion was made by the Liberty of Russia Legion (FRL), which described the announcement arsenic a associated connection with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK).

Both groups privation to topple President Vladimir Putin. They reason the full-scale penetration of Ukraine that helium launched successful February past year.

Belgorod's apical official, Vyacheslav Gladkov, replied to accidental helium had agreed to conscionable the men's captors if the soldiers were inactive alive. But the fighters aboriginal said that the politician "had not recovered the courage" to conscionable them and they would manus implicit their captives to Ukraine.

Russia has blamed Ukraine for caller attacks successful its borderline territories, but Kyiv denies being straight involved.

Mr Gladkov aboriginal said an vigor works successful Belgorod was connected occurrence pursuing a drone attack.

There has been nary autarkic confirmation of the attack, but Moscow says the portion has been the regular people of drone attacks from Ukraine.