Russia claims minor Ukraine progress; Kyiv readies offensive

By SUSIE BLANN
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces are claiming some battlefield success as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine labors to gain momentum almost a year after it began. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday its troops broke through two Ukrainian defensive lines in the eastern Luhansk region and pushed back Ukrainian troops some 3 kilometers (2 miles), forcing them to leave behind equipment and the bodies of those killed. It wasn’t possible to independently verify Moscow’s claim. Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment. However, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his country’s forces would need “a few months” to learn how to use new Western weapons before they can try and push the Russians out of Ukraine.