According to the nation’s deputy defense minister Hanna Malyar, Ukrainian soldiers are “shifting to offensive actions” in some locations.

According to BBC reports from Ukrainian military sources, a number of small-scale armoured assault actions are currently underway.

They did not specify if this was the beginning of Ukraine’s much anticipated full-scale counteroffensive.

Earlier, the Russian defense ministry claimed to have stopped a significant Ukrainian assault in Donetsk.

The “epicentre of hostilities,” according to Ms. Malyar, is the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Russian forces are reportedly defending both there and in the south.

She reported on Monday night that Ukrainian forces had advanced up to one mile (1.6 km) in numerous directions near Bakhmut.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the ground forces of Ukraine, declared that troops were “moving forward” toward Bakhmut and had destroyed a Russian position close to the city.

Later, President Volodomyr Zelensky praised his troops for bringing “the news we were expecting” from the area.

The city has been the scene of fierce fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces for months.

Wagner, a Russian paramilitary organization, claimed to have taken the city. However, some observers have argued in recent weeks that Kyiv’s forces are seeking to encircle Bakhmut and trap Russian units.

Map indicating the location of Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine that borders territory now held by Russian forces.
Long anticipated is a significant Ukrainian counteroffensive, but Kyiv has previously stated that it will not provide early notice of its launch.

However, there has been a noticeable rise in military action as Ukraine claims to have made minor gains elsewhere on the front line.

Therefore, the most recent reports are being taken as a fresh indication that the anticipated Ukrainian offensive may have started.

View from a military vehicle as Ukrainian soldiers destroy Russian positions near Klischiivka in the Donetsk Region of Ukraine, heading toward Bakhmut.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Press Service, image source
picture caption
According to a video posted by the Ukrainian army, a military vehicle is in the vicinity of Bakhmut. The BBC has not independently verified the photo’s date.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine used six mechanized and two tank battalions to start a “large-scale offensive” in the Donetsk region on Sunday.

In what Kyiv considered to be the most exposed area of the front line, it was alleged that the Ukrainians attempted to breach Russian defenses, but that they “did not achieve their tasks, it had no success.”

Military trucks were seen in fields receiving heavy fire in video footage of what Russia claimed to be the combat in Donetsk. Russia asserts that it killed 300 soldiers and obliterated 16 tanks.

Moscow’s assertions, however, have not been independently corroborated.

Additionally, the Ukrainian military claimed on Monday that it was unaware of any significant attacks in the area.

A Ukrainian army official told Reuters, “We do not have such information, and we do not comment on any kind of fake.”

If the video of the armored trucks coming under heavy fire is real, it illustrates the fierce opposition Ukrainian forces may encounter as they attempt to recapture additional land.

And even if it isn’t exactly what it seems to be, Moscow is still attempting to dominate the narrative.

Ukrainian communication over the potential timing and format of their counteroffensive has significantly increased.

Such a move has been in Ukraine’s months-long plans. However, it has sought as much time as possible to prepare its forces and collect military supplies from allies in the West.

According to Reuters, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that his nation now possessed enough weapons for a counteroffensive but would not confirm whether it had started.

The public speculating about the offensive, according to Kyiv officials, could aid the adversary.

Plans adore stillness. No start date will be announced, the defense ministry stated in a video published on Telegram on Sunday. Its video showed masked, heavily armed soldiers holding their fingers to their lips.

It will take time for Ukraine to liberate the land that Russia annexed as recently as nine years ago.