MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Armed Forces struck Russian command posts and facilities in the rear before their unsuccessful advance into the Zaporozhye sector, the commander of the Russian group of forces for the area, Alexander Romanchuk, said.
"The enemy offensive was preceded by powerful strikes. The enemy used aviation, missile troops and artillery to attack our troops' positions in forward areas, our in-depth defenses, command posts, artillery positions and facilities in the rear," Romanchuk said on Thursday.
The Ukrainian advance was swiftly detected by tactical and aerial reconnaissance troops and special forces, which returned fire, he said.
"Targeted strikes were delivered by bombers and assault aviation against the areas where the offensive was to be launched from, and also during the advance to starting points for the attack," the commander said.
"Thus, [thanks to] the actions of our units, the enemy has failed to surprise [us] when carrying out its tasks," Romanchuk said.