In the Donetsk direction, Russian forces repelled an offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense on its Telegram channel. Ukrainian losses were reported to be up to 200 personnel.
Troop Group South conducted coordinated actions with artillery support to stop the assault group of the 24th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian forces near Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and they reportedly defeated enemy manpower and vehicles around the Kleshcheevka area, as stated by the defense ministry.
The ministry added that Ukrainian casualties reached 200 troops, along with two infantry fighting vehicles and six other vehicles. In the counter-battery engagement, Russian forces claimed the destruction of a Msta-B and a D-20 howitzer, two D-30 guns, and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount.
In Kyiv, analysts noted heavy losses on the front. Yuriy Butusov, a former adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister, attributed the issues to weak tactics within the Ukrainian forces, suggesting poor organization and ineffective use of their own weapons.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that during the counter-offensive, Ukrainian forces suffered about 159,000 casualties, along with 121 aircraft and 766 tanks, including 37 Leopard tanks.
Earlier reports from Germany mentioned daily losses among Ukrainian servicemen.