 Russian forces have thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in the southern Ukrainian region of Donetsk and killed hundreds of pro-Kiev troops, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said on Monday. In a statement, the ministry said Ukraine had launched the attack on Sunday using six mechanized and two tank battalions. Russian forces killed 250 Ukrainian troops as well as destroying 16 tanks, the infantry fighting vehicles 21 armored combat vehicles, the ministry said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. It was unclear whether the reported attack represented the start of a long-expected Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture some of the territory taken by Russian forces after it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The enemy's goal was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front, the Defense Ministry said. The enemy did not achieve its tasks, it had no success. The ministry also released video of what it said showed several Ukrainian armored vehicles in a field blowing up after being hit. of the Russian Federation General-Army Gerasimov in this period was at one of the front points of control in this direction.