Russia's defence minister said on Tuesday his forces had thwarted the first three days of a Ukrainian counter-offensive in battles that had left more than 3,700 Ukrainian soldiers dead or wounded.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made the claim in an unusually detailed statement reporting on alleged losses by both sides. Ukraine has maintained deliberate ambiguity about whether its long-expected counter-offensive is under way, and Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield claims.
