It said that on June 5, Ukraine continued its offensive, concentrating the main efforts on the southern Donetsk sector, adding that active and selfless operations by units of the Vostok grouping of troops, who showed courage and heroism, stopped the enemy, who failed to achieve the assigned tasks.
"The attacking units... of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffered significant losses. The total losses of Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk sector amounted to more than 1,500 Ukrainian military personnel, 28 tanks, eight of them Leopards made in Germany, three wheeled AMX-10 tanks made in France and 109 armored combat vehicles," the ministry said.
It looks as though Ukraine has started its long-hyped counteroffensive, though no official confirmation that it has begun has come from Kiev.