(HorizonPost.com) – In a recent interview, a Ukrainian intelligence official claimed that there have been at least ten attempts on the life of Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Andrii Yusov, an official with the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said Russia has made “more than ten attempts” to take out Budanov, claiming that he is an important target for the Putin regime.
Yusov described the attempts as a positive sign that the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine is doing its work well. He added that despite the attempts, the agency’s work is not affected, and safety measures are being taken.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky suggested that both counteroffensive and defensive actions were underway, the Associated Press reported.
During a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv, Zelensky responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comment last Thursday that the counteroffensive had begun and Ukrainian forces were sustaining “significant losses.”
The Ukrainian president told reporters that both counteroffensive and defensive actions were taking place, but he would not discuss “which stage or phase they are in.”
While Ukrainian officials have stopped short of formally announcing a full-blown counteroffensive, some analysts in the West have said that the fiercer fighting in Russian-occupied territories coupled with the reports of reserve troops being deployed suggests that it is underway.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed on Saturday that there were “heavy battles” in the east, with 34 clashes on Friday. While the General staff offered no details, it did confirm that Russian forces were launching artillery and air strikes in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
On Monday, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Mailar said Ukrainian forces had retaken 7 villages in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, the Associated Press reported.
Ukrainian officials said on Sunday that troops had retaken the villages of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka in Donestk.
According to Deputy Defense Minister Mailar, Ukrainian forces retook the settlements of Lobkove, Novodrivka, and Levadne in the Zaporizhzhia province.
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