Russia says it repelled Ukrainian attack on Novodonetske village in counteroffensive zone

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Monday its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to take the village of Novodonetske in the eastern Donetsk region, one of the areas where Kyiv's counteroffensive has been focused. The ministry said in a statement that marines from Russia's Pacific Fleet had pushed back the overnight attack and destroyed Ukrainian armoured vehicles.

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Monday its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to take the village of Novodonetske in the eastern Donetsk region, one of the areas where Kyiv's counteroffensive has been focused.

The ministry said in a statement that marines from Russia's Pacific Fleet had pushed back the overnight attack and destroyed Ukrainian armoured vehicles. It released a video of what it said was the aftermath of the battle showing what one soldier heard talking in it said was a captured French-made tank.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield account. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Monday that Kyiv's forces had liberated eight settlements in the past two weeks of their offensive operations.