'Best' Russian Drone Pilots Killed by Own Landmine
Several of Russia's "best specialists" in drone warfare have been killed by mines laid by Moscow's own forces, according to a pro-Kremlin commander.
"Thoughtless mining" led to the deaths of four Russian unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV] operators in a settlement in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Alexander Khodakovsky, a Kremlin-backed commander in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, wrote on Telegram on Monday.
The UAV operators had been around the settlement of Novodonets'ke, Khodakovsky said, close to Vuhledar, which has seen bitter clashes throughout the war that began in February 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Mines of our own production suddenly appeared" Khodakovsky, said, on what he described as the "traditional route of the groups from rotation to rotation."
"By a tragic accident, this happened on the eve of the offensive," Khodakovsky added.
"The enemy, having felt our weak points, is stepping up its efforts."
This statement appears to reference Russian Defense Ministry reports on Monday, which said that Ukrainian forces had launched an "unsuccessful attempt at a large-scale offensive."
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.
This push from Kyiv's forces on Sunday came from five sectors of the front line around south Donetsk, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson said, referring to the eastern Ukrainian region Moscow has said it has annexed, although this is not recognized by the international community.
Ukrainian forces deployed their 23rd and 31st mechanized brigades, among other forces, Russia said, but reported the counteroffensive had failed and cost Ukraine the lives of 250 personnel.
"We do not have such information and we do not comment on any kind of fake," a Ukrainian Army spokesperson told Reuters.
"The war continues," Oleskiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine's Security and Defence Council, also told the outlet, when questioned about the start of Kyiv's counteroffensive. "Until complete victory," he added.
Analysts, as well as Russian forces, have waited months for Ukraine's long-expected counteroffensive, and it is still not clear whether this is the beginning of Kyiv's operations to push back Moscow's troops. Ukrainian officials have presented apparently contradictory information concerning the start date of the counteroffensive, originally slated for the spring months.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces "are going to do it, and we are ready." But in a separate interview with London's The Sunday Times, also published on Saturday, the deputy head of Zelensky's office said Ukraine probably did not "have enough" military equipment to be successful.
Ukrainian officials have largely remained quiet on these new reports. In an operational update on Monday morning, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said 29 "combat clashes" had taken place over the previous 24 hours, but did not comment further.
On Sunday, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on social media that there would "be no start announcement" for counteroffensive operations, adding: "Plans love silence."
