New statements from each side amid Ukraine's counterattack against Russia

The Russian Defense Ministry said on June 12 that its forces had repelled Ukrainian offensives in the eastern and southern regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. The ministry also said Russian forces had attacked targets with high-precision missiles launched from the sea, according to Reuters.

Previously, Russia affirmed that Ukraine had begun a counterattack on June 4, while it was not until June 10 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the counterattack was taking place.

Quick view: What hot developments happened in the Russian military campaign in Ukraine on day 473?

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army announced today, June 12, that it had recaptured the fourth village called Storozheve in a cluster of settlements in the southeast, according to Reuters.

A day earlier, Ukraine said its forces had recaptured three villages, Blahodatne, Neskuchne and Makarivka, on the edge of Donetsk province next to Zaporizhzhia. Storozheve borders Blahodatne and Makarivka, about 5km from the front line.

An image taken from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on June 10 shows what is believed to be a destroyed armored vehicle of the Ukrainian armed forces in Donetsk province.

Several prominent Russian military bloggers claim that the battle for Makarivka is still raging but confirm that Ukrainian forces have captured Blahodatne and Neskuchne.

Russia has so far maintained that Ukraine’s counterattack was a failure, posting images of destroyed US- and German-made combat vehicles, according to Reuters. Russia has built extensive fortifications to defend against the counterattack by Ukrainian troops trained and equipped by the West.

In a combat update this morning, June 12, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that in the previous 24 hours, 25 battles had broken out near the cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka in Donetsk province and near the Bilohorivka area in Luhansk province, also in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine says it retakes control of 4 villages in counter-offensive

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern military command, said Ukrainian forces had continued to counterattack on the flanks of Bakhmut and had pushed Russian forces back 700 meters. Last month, Russia announced it had captured Bakhmut after some of the bloodiest fighting of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

See also : Battle Day 452: Bakhmut is the focus; US supports Ukraine

What must Ukraine achieve to be considered a successful counterattack?

The New York Times on June 10 quoted a number of US and European Union (EU) officials as saying that the West would consider Ukraine's counterattack a success if Kyiv regained important areas lost to Moscow or dealt a blow that "weakened" Russian forces.

The outcome of the counteroffensive could impact Western military support for Ukraine and future discussions about security guarantees for the country, according to The New York Times .

Expert says Ukraine's counterattack lacks key element: F-16

Also according to The New York Times , US and EU officials said it was up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to decide what counts as success in the long-awaited operation.

Mr Zelensky has previously said he wants his forces to reclaim all the land lost to Russia, including the newly annexed territories of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions - along with the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014 after a referendum.

Ukrainian servicemen sit on an armored personnel carrier in Zaporizhzhia province on June 11.

However, American and European officials admit that pushing all Russian forces out of the lands they control in Ukraine is very unlikely, according to The New York Times .

The West is discussing two scenarios. The first is that “the Ukrainian army recaptures and holds key territories” and the second is that the Kyiv army will deliver “a debilitating blow that will force the Kremlin to question the future of its military options in Ukraine”.

Russian soldier awarded medal after destroying Western tank

On June 8, Politico magazine reported that the White House is monitoring the progress of the counteroffensive in Ukraine, as US officials believe that President Joe Biden's reputation depends on the outcome of the counteroffensive.

See more : War Day 472: Ukraine counterattacks, Mr. Zelensky sends message to Mr. Putin

Ukraine wants more tanks from Germany

In an interview published by Tagesspiegel newspaper on June 11, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Melnik said Kyiv needed more German tanks amid fierce fighting with Russia, according to RT.

The request came after Moscow said Russian forces had destroyed several German-made Leopard tanks and repelled Kyiv's attempts to break through Russian defenses.

Mr. Melnik said that the German army could spare more than the 18 Leopard 2 tanks it has delivered to Ukraine, noting that Berlin has more than 300 of these tanks in its arsenal. He also said that the number of Leopard tanks supplied to Ukraine could be “tripled without jeopardizing Germany’s ability to defend itself.”

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In addition to tanks, Berlin could also provide Kyiv with “60 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs),” Melnik said. In total, Germany has sent 40 of these IFVs to Ukraine, and has promised to deliver 20 more in the near future.

There is currently no information about Germany's reaction to Ukraine's request.

See more : Why is Germany having a headache about sending tanks to Ukraine after the UK's move?

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