Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Friday that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had begun, but without success.
“It can be stated with absolute certainty that the counteroffensive has begun,” Putin said on the sidelines of a conference in Sochi on Friday. He claimed this is “evidenced by the use of strategic reserves.”
“It can be stated that all counteroffensive attempts made so far have failed. But the offensive potential of the Kyiv troops regime still remains,” Putin said in video shared on Telegram.
“The Ukrainian troops have not achieved the tasks assigned to them in any of the main sectors. This is an absolutely obvious thing,” he added. Putin also said that the last two days have been “very intense.”
The Russian leader’s comments are the latest in a series of upbeat Russian characterizations of events along the front line between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk, where Ukrainian forces have stepped up activities since the start of the week.
Not all Russian reports emerging from the battlefields of Zaporizhzhia region are positive, however.
On Friday morning, Semyon Pegov, who is among the most widely read of Russia’s “military bloggers,” reported that Ukraine’s armed forces had made gains south of Orikhiv towards the town of Tokmak in Russian-held territory.
The Ukrainian view: Ukrainian officials have not described their activities as a counteroffensive. Earlier in the week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described “very tough battles.”
CNN cannot independently verify claims from either side about fighting on the ground, but a Ukrainian commander rejected the suggestion Ukraine had begun its big attempt to recapture territory.
Instead, the commander characterized the pushes as “reconnaissance in force” – operations designed to probe the enemy’s defenses for weak spots and to test its combat readiness.
