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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Daniel Boffey in Kyiv and Pjotr Sauer

Putin denies Zelenskiy’s claims of counteroffensive success for Ukraine

Vladimir Putin gestures with one finger held up.
Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with Russian war correspondents at the Kremlin, 13 June. Photograph: Gavriil Grigorov/AP

Vladimir Putin has denied Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s claims of early success in Ukraine’s long-anticipated counteroffensive, which has seen Kyiv’s troops regain some territory, while admitting that Russia had lost 54 tanks in the opening assaults.

In a televised meeting with military bloggers, Russia’s president conceded that his forces had taken losses but insisted that Ukraine had lost 25% to 30% of its foreign-supplied military vehicles including 160 tanks.

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