According to the ministry, the Ukrainian forces have continued to make attempts to attack in Donetsk, South Donetsk, Krasny Liman and Kupyansk directions.
"During defense operations in the Donetsk direction, units of [Russia’s] southern grouping of forces successfully repulsed five enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka, Krasnoe, Severnoe, Pervomaiskoe and Kamyanka of the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said in a statement.
The Ukrainian military lost up to 160 soldiers in the Donetsk direction and up to 120 soldiers in the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the ministry added.
Ukraine's much-touted counteroffensive kicked off after months of delays over a lack of military supplies from Western donors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that progress was "slower than desired." Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, conceded on Wednesday that a military campaign was "not a walk in the park."