Large-scale Ukrainian offensive in Donetsk fails

The Ukrainian army failed in a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the front in the south of the Donetsk People's Republic, declared the spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov.
 
As reported by the spokesman on the official website of the Ministry of Defense, the 23rd and 31st mechanized brigades of the strategic reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive with support of a number of elements.

Konashenkov reported that the Ukrainian army also deployed six mechanized battalions and two tank battalions, but they encountered resistance from Russia’s Eastern group and suffered over 250 casualties and the loss of 16 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored vehicles.

The spokesman stated that the commander of the Joint Group of Troops, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov, was at one of the advanced checkpoints in the area at the time of the Ukrainian offensive.