DONETSK, June 11. /TASS/. Ukrainian soldiers have been increasingly blown up by mines since the start of Kiev’s offensive in the southern Donetsk direction, the chief of the engineer service of a regiment from Russia’s southern battlegroup said on Sunday.

"It can be said that the number [of explosions triggered by stepping on Russian mines since the start of the offensive] has increased several-fold because they [the Kiev regime] mobilize citizens and send them to the frontline a week after that. It is very hard to learn engineering techniques within such a short period of time and even to study mines in theory. These techniques must be studied in detail," the army engineer with the call sign Kirpich said.

Russian forces plant anti-personnel, anti-tank and directed-action mines and booby traps on the frontline. Meanwhile, during their free time, Russian army engineers study enemy mines: NATO-standard Italian, German and US mines, he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 9 that "we can certainly state that the Ukrainian offensive has begun as evidenced by the use of strategic reserves by the Ukrainian army." As the Russian leader stressed, "Ukrainian troops have not achieved their objectives in any of the frontline sectors," sustaining heavy casualties.