Is Ukraine's counteroffensive finally underway? . FRANCE 24 English With Russia claiming to have repelled a major Ukrainian attack in Donetsk, and with other fighting reported along the frontline, ...
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France 24 presenter stating counteroffensive is underway.
It appears the long delayed Ukrainian counteroffensive against the Russian forces in the country has begun.
At this time there is no way to verify the statements made by either side yet according to the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) "owing to air strikes and artillery fire" some 60 miles "west of Donetsk, the Ukrainian forces incurred significant losses." [1]
According to the MOD, "in the last 24 hours Ukraine has lost up to 900 service members, 16 tanks, 33 armored and 14 ordinary vehicles. It failed to accomplish its goals".
"Ukraine's General Staff provided no comment on the counteroffensive saying only that there had been 29 combat clashes in the Donetsk and neighboring Lugansk regions in the last 24 hours".
Without addressing the Russian MOD directly the Ukrainians did accuse Russia of spreading false information about the counteroffensive.
Now regardless of the authenticity of the Russian MOD's assessment of the Ukrainian counteroffensive there are a few things that need to be understood.
The Russians have air supremacy, superior artillery, tanks, accurate missiles and drones and a trained army now numbering in the hundreds of thousands that have fought and captured significant territory in eastern and southeast Ukraine. The Sea of Azov is now a Russian "lake".
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