Ukraine says it has no info on Russia’s claims about a thwarted “major Ukrainian offensive”

On 5 June, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it had thwarted a "major Ukrainian offensive" in the south of Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast a day before, while Russia's mercenary leader Prigozhin said Russian forces had lost ground around Bakhmut further north, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, commenting on the Russian claims, a Ukrainian military spokesperson told Reuters: "We do not have such information, and we do not comment on any kind of fake." At the same time, the Telegram channel of Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi published a video showing the Ukrainian actions in the Bakhmut sector, adding that "The defense forces are working. We continue moving forward":

"The tanks of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade obliterated a tree-line with the Russians while storming enemy positions in the Bakhmut direction."

📹https://t.co/TjC0RZ9F3S pic.twitter.com/DnHlGtSWGV — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 5, 2023

Multiple Russian military-linked sources claimed a number of Ukrainian attacks and assaults at various sections of the frontline in the oblasts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Army's Center for Strategic Communications warned that Russian Telegram channels and social media would "intensify the spread of false information" about the Ukrainian and Russian combat activities:

"Russian propagandists will spread false information about the counter-offensive, its directions, and the losses of the Ukrainian army," the message reads.

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The Facebook account of Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar published a video titled "Plans love silence. There will be no announcement of the start"

The start of the highly-anticipated counter-offensive is implied. 📹https://t.co/Er6cRNTtRw pic.twitter.com/gtYIUXG1e0 — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 4, 2023