Russian authorities and military bloggers aligned with the Kremlin reported that Ukrainian ground forces attempted to break through Russian defenses in eastern Ukraine; an area of the front that had not shifted significantly for months. As Monday dawned, large-scale assaults were staged across much of the frontline. Months of preparing a major counteroffensive in the war by Ukraine resulted in their silence about military operations, thus Russian reports were expected to signal the start of the military action before any formal Ukrainian announcements. Ukrainian silence was broken only by a video released by the military on Sunday, showing soldiers putting their finger to their lips, asking for silence.
Two Russian reports stated that Ukrainian forces had pushed through Russian defenses in two areas. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a major Ukrainian operation had taken place along multiple sections of the front in the Donetsk region; a Ukrainian attack that had been repelled. Moscow’s reports of an offensive and Ukrainian casualties were uncorroborated. Tass, the Russian news agency, cited the Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov.
A Russian Telegram channel, which reports on the war, reported that by early Monday, Ukrainian forces had breached a first line of Russian defenses near the town of Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk and reclaimed two villages as Russian forces fell back to reserve positions, buttressing the Russian reports of the counteroffensive having begun. Independent American military analysts confirmed that they believed Ukrainian units had begun an initial thrust to determine the position and strength of Russian forces.
The various reports of combat maneuvers across the front were hard to decipher in terms of what operations were part of the main attack; some of them could be feints or diversions. However, a thrust to test Russian lines, like the kind that Americans have been training the Ukrainians to undertake, would be a traditional tactic. The movements of larger units, as reported by the Russians on Sunday night and Monday morning could signal Ukraine pushing its NATO-trained forces into the fight.
Another Russian Telegram channel, Rybar, stated that Ukrainian forces had attacked in the Zaporizhzhia region to the west of Donetsk with company-sized units, or groups of about 100 soldiers, supported by tanks; they had made 200 yards of advance. It also stated that Russian forces had destroyed two Ukrainian tanks with anti-tank missiles. These claims could not be independently verified.
