Russia claims minor Ukraine progress; Kyiv readies offensive
Russian forces are claiming some battlefield success as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine labors to gain momentum almost a year after it began
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces claimed some battlefield success Wednesday as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine labored to gain momentum almost a year after it began, while Ukraine said it needs another few months to stage its own offensive.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its troops broke through two Ukrainian defensive lines in the eastern Luhansk region and pushed back Ukrainian troops some three kilometers (two miles), forcing them to leave behind equipment and the bodies of those killed.
It was not possible to independently verify Moscow's claim. Ukrainian official s made no immediate comment.
Russian artillery, drones and missiles have relentlessly pounded Ukrainian-held areas in the country's east for months, indiscriminately hitting civilian targets and wreaking destruction, as the war largely slowed to a grinding stalemate in the winter. Moscow is hungry for some progress after months of setbacks.
