MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) - Units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have attempted to penetrate defenses in the Zaporozhye sector and reach the sea, but ended up in minefields and under attack from Russian troops, Commander of the Southern Military District's 58th Combined Arms Army Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov said.
"All of this, combined with the actions of units from [various] military branches, played an important role in thwarting today's attempt by the enemy to break through the 58th Army's defenses, and building on that success to reach the sea, thereby attaining the main goal of [their] offensive operation," Popov said on Thursday.
"Minefields played a very important role in the night battle," he said.
Minefields "with the highest possible density" were set up earlier by Russian troops in the sector where the Ukrainian army's 47th Mechanized Brigade was operating, he said.
"And essentially, all the four columns that attempted to break through the 70th regiment's defenses were stopped and held up by the minefields that this regiment set up," Popov said, adding that a comprehensive strike had been carried out on the Ukrainian troops.
He singled out the special role of infantry in these military actions.
"Traditionally, the hardest work is done by the infantry," he said.
"Skillfully organized fire, reconnaissance and observation [...], all of this together played the most important role in thwarting today's attempt by the enemy to break through the 58th Army's defenses, and building on that success to reach the sea, thereby attaining the main goal of [their] offensive operation," Popov said.