MOSCOW: Russia’s military said on Friday that its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to forge a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the River Dnipro and on nearby islands, killing around 500 Ukrainian soldiers in the past week.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield claim, which was made in a Russian defense ministry statement and said the fighting had happened in the Kherson area of southern Ukraine.
“On 9 November, personnel from a motorized rifle company in the Russian military grouping ‘Dnipro’ under the command of Senior Lt. Zolto Arsalanov destroyed servicemen from a unit of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Infantry brigade as they were trying to gain a foothold on the left bank of the Dnipro River,” the statement said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that Ukraine’s counter-offensive was making some gradual progress in the south and east including what he called “good steps” near Kherson region.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War said this week that Ukraine appeared to have conducted assaults across the Dnipro in Kherson region in mid-October, and noted that Russian military bloggers were reporting continued Ukrainian ground operations on the east bank.
The latest Russian statement said Russian forces had killed most of the Ukrainian soldiers in the Nov. 9 incident and taken 11 of them prisoner. The Russians had been presented with state awards for “courage and heroism” by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as a result, it said.
The statement spoke of what it said were multiple Ukrainian unsuccessful attempts to land to seize a bridgehead on the islands and on the eastern bank of the Dnipro.
“As a result of active pre-emptive actions of Russian troops and artillery fire, the enemy’s losses during the week totalled up to 505 servicemen, 18 field artillery guns, 15 boats and 25 vehicles,” it said.
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Russia says it thwarted Ukrainian attempt to forge bridgehead on River Dnipro’s east bank
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Russia says it thwarted Ukrainian attempt to forge bridgehead on River Dnipro’s east bank
- The fighting had happened in the Kherson area of southern Ukraine
- Russian forces had killed most of the Ukrainian soldiers in the Nov. 9 incident and taken 11 of them prisoner
Japan protests China comments on reviving ‘militarism’
TOKYO: Tokyo said it had lodged a “stern demarche” to China through diplomatic channels after Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi accused “far-right forces” in Japan of seeking to revive militarism.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Wang weighed in on Beijing’s current relationship with Tokyo, which has been under heavy strain since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Taiwan in November.
Wang said that “Japanese people should no longer allow themselves to be manipulated or deceived by those far-right forces, or by those who seek to revive militarism.”
“All peace-loving countries should send a clear warning to Japan: if it chooses to walk back on this path, it will only be heading toward self-destruction.”
Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the claims in a post on X Sunday as “factually incorrect and ungrounded.”
“Japan’s efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities are in response to an increasingly severe security environment and are not directed against any specific third country,” the statement said.
It said there were “countries in the international community that have been rapidly increasing their military capabilities in a non-transparent manner” but added that “Japan opposes such moves and distances itself from them.”
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi made his stance clear at another session of the conference, followed by a stern demarche against the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, the statement said.
Just weeks into her term, Takaichi said Japan would intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.
Beijing claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
Takaichi was seen as a China hawk before becoming Japan’s first woman prime minister in October.
She said last week that under her leadership Japan — which hosts some 60,000 US military personnel — would bolster its defenses and “steadfastly protect” its territory.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Wang weighed in on Beijing’s current relationship with Tokyo, which has been under heavy strain since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Taiwan in November.
Wang said that “Japanese people should no longer allow themselves to be manipulated or deceived by those far-right forces, or by those who seek to revive militarism.”
“All peace-loving countries should send a clear warning to Japan: if it chooses to walk back on this path, it will only be heading toward self-destruction.”
Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the claims in a post on X Sunday as “factually incorrect and ungrounded.”
“Japan’s efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities are in response to an increasingly severe security environment and are not directed against any specific third country,” the statement said.
It said there were “countries in the international community that have been rapidly increasing their military capabilities in a non-transparent manner” but added that “Japan opposes such moves and distances itself from them.”
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi made his stance clear at another session of the conference, followed by a stern demarche against the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, the statement said.
Just weeks into her term, Takaichi said Japan would intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.
Beijing claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
Takaichi was seen as a China hawk before becoming Japan’s first woman prime minister in October.
She said last week that under her leadership Japan — which hosts some 60,000 US military personnel — would bolster its defenses and “steadfastly protect” its territory.
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