Russia-Ukraine War Update, Russia Releases New Estimates Of Ukrainian Counterattack Losses

Russia Releases New Estimates Of Ukrainian Counterattack Losses

Moscow - Russian troops have killed hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and dozens of tanks and armored military vehicles after fending off a counterattack in the south of the country. The Russian Ministry of Defense (Kemhan) revealed this on Tuesday (30/8/2022).

According to Russia's Ministry of Defense, officials believe the operation was carried out on the personal orders of President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Effective actions by Russian troops destroyed 48 tanks, 46 infantry fighting vehicles, 37 other armored fighting vehicles, eight pickups with heavy machine guns and more than 1,200 Ukrainian servicemen in one day," the ministry said.

The Russian Defense Ministry added that Kiev suffered these losses during the failed offensive that led to Nikolaev, Krivoy Rog and other cities in southern Ukraine. The ministry went on to say Moscow forces directed the 128th Ukrainian Mountain Assault Brigade unit, which had been deployed from western Ukraine to take part in the operation. "The five service members of this brigade laid down their weapons and surrendered," the ministry said.

Russian forces also exterminated "more than 200 militants, including about 40 foreign mercenaries" as well as more than 20 Ukrainian armored units. The Russian Defense Ministry's statement came after its claim on Monday that the Ukrainian counterattack on Kherson had "totally failed."

At the time, Russia put Kiev's losses at 26 tanks, 23 armored fighting vehicles, nine more armored vehicles, two jets and at least 560 troops. Kiev has been talking about a "Kherson counter-offensive" all summer, while demanding more weapons and ammunition from its Western backers. In a video address to the crowd on Sunday, Zelensky vowed "Ukraine will return" to the Donbass, as well as Kharkov, Zaporozhye, Kherson and "definitely to Crimea."

Russia sent troops to Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev's failure to implement the Minsk agreement, which was designed to give the Donetsk and Lugansk regions special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocol, brokered by Germany and France, was first signed in 2014.

Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has since acknowledged Kiev's main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and "create a strong armed force."

In February 2022, the Kremlin recognized the Donbass republic as an independent state and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that would never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian attack was completely unwarranted.