Russia’s armed forces attempted to stage a major assault in the southern Zaporizhzhia region overnight, the Ukrainian military said Thursday, adding that its troops managed to repel the attack.
According to the defense forces of southern Ukraine, at least 320 Russian soldiers attacked five villages southeast of the city of Zaporizhzhia starting at around 6:00 p.m. local time Wedneday. The Russian troops were said to have used 40 armored vehicles, a dozen buggies and three tanks.
“The enemy was unsuccessful. The Ukrainian defense forces did not lose a single position,” Ukraine’s military said in a statement posted on Telegram.
Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes were said to have killed 140 Russian soldiers, destroyed dozens of pieces of military equipment and damaged all three tanks during two-and-a-half hours of fighting.
The Moscow Times could not independently verify the claims. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not reported any offensive operations in the region over the past 24 hours.
Ukraine’s military released drone footage showing armored vehicles being struck, which it said depicted the Russian assault in Zaporizhzhia.
Zaporizhzhia is one of four Ukrainian regions partially occupied by Russian troops. Moscow considers it to be one of Russia’s so-called “new territories” despite not having full control over the region.
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