Putin’s puppet claims they have fought off Ukraine troops as they ramp up counteroffensive

British missile downs Russian attack helicopter The Kremlin has claimed major victories in huge battles with Ukraine shortly after Kyiv launched a counter-offensive against Russian despot Vladimir Putin’s forces on Thursday. According to Russia’s Battlegroup South propaganda mouthpiece, Vadim Astafyev, Moscow has managed to hold off Ukrainian assault groups targeting Lysychansk, Aleksandr-Kalinovsk and Soledar-Artyomovsk. Russia took control of regions including Lysychansk last year and has since fended off repeated counter-offensives by Ukraine. Speaking to TASS, the Russian state-owned news agency, Astafyev spoke of his country’s success in maintaining the region. He said: “The units of the Battlegroup South successfully repelled the attacks of the assault groups of the Ukrainian armed forces in the directions of Lysychansk, Aleksandr-Kalinovsk and Soledar-Artemovsk.” READ MORE: Embarrassed Putin snubbed by African leaders at top St Petersburg summit Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia Astafyev claimed that artillery close to the village of Ivano-Daryevka, in Donetsk Oblast, destroyed a Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle. In an exchange after, two 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery mounts succumbed to the fighting near another village, Dyleevka, and the city of Seversk. It led to a Ukraine pickup truck and pillbox being wiped out by Russia. The spokesman claimed that the “crews of army aviation helicopters hit targets in the areas of the villages of Kleshcheevka and Andreevka”. The Ukraine war has been raging since February 2022 SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info It comes as Ukraine’s troops moved ever closer to the city of Bakhmut – the eastern residence that has become the stage for some of the bloody war’s most devastating fighting. Officials from Kyiv confirmed its military was set to receive 1,700 strike and reconnaissance drones to ward off any Russian attacks. Mykhailo Fedorov, a deputy prime minister, said of the drones: “All of them are now going to the front to protect the lives of our soldiers, to make our artillery even more accurate, to destroy the enemy.” Deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, described the fighting that raged across villages close to Bakhmut, namely Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka and Andriivka, that added pressure on Ukraine. Trending