The country’s Deputy Defense Minister Hina Maliar has said that Ukrainian forces are moving “to offensive operations” in some areas.
Ukrainian military sources told JEE News that small-scale armored offensives are continuing.
He did not say whether it was the start of Ukraine’s long-awaited full-scale retaliation.
Earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive in Donetsk.
Ms Miliar described the eastern city of Bakhmut as the “hotbed of hostilities” and claimed that Russian forces were on the defensive there as well as in the south.
The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Gen. Oleksandr Serskyi, said troops were “advancing” toward Bakhmut and had destroyed a Russian position near the town.
For months, the city has been the center of fierce fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
The Russian paramilitary group Wagner claimed control of the city. But in recent weeks, some analysts have suggested that Kyiv’s forces are trying to encircle Bakhmut and trap Russian units.
A major Ukrainian counteroffensive has been long awaited, but Kyiv has already said it will not give advance warning of its launch.
However, with Ukraine claiming that it has made modest gains elsewhere on the frontline, military activity has increased significantly.
The latest reports are therefore seen as a fresh sign that the expected Ukrainian pressure has begun.
Ukraine also launched a “large-scale offensive” in the Donetsk region on Sunday, using six mechanized and two tank battalions, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
He claimed that the Ukrainians had tried to break through the Russian defenses which Kyiv saw as the weakest part of the front line – but that they had “not achieved their tasks, they had no success”.
Russia released a video of the battle in Donetsk showing military vehicles in fields under heavy fire. Russia claims to have killed 300 soldiers and destroyed 16 tanks.
However, Moscow’s claims have not been independently verified.
And on Monday, Ukraine’s military said it had no reports of a major attack in the region.
“We do not have such information and do not comment on any kind of fakes,” a Ukrainian military spokesman told JEE News.
If the footage of the armored vehicles coming under heavy fire is authentic, it reflects the tough resistance Ukrainian forces will face as they try to liberate more territory.
And if it’s not what it seems, it’s still an attempt by Moscow to control the narrative.
Ukrainian messaging has grown significantly about when and how their response might take shape.
Ukraine has been planning such a move for months. But it has sought more time to train troops and acquire military equipment from Western allies.
Officials in Kyiv have warned against public speculation about the offensive, saying it could help the enemy.
“The projects like silence. There will be no announcement of its launch,” the Defense Ministry said in a video posted on Telegram on Sunday. His footage shows masked and well-armed troops holding their fingers to their lips.
It will take time for Ukraine to achieve its goal of liberating the territory occupied by Russia nine years ago.
And Moscow has had time to prepare. This means that if Ukraine is able to retaliate, it will take some time.
