MELITOPOL, July 3. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces are estimated to have lost over 20,000 troops in the Zaporozhye area since the start of their counter-offensive, Acting Governor of the Zaporozhye Region Yegveny Balitsky said.

"I consider it necessary to comment on the situation along the frontline in the Zaporozhye area. The situation near the city of Orekhov remains tense. The enemy keeps actively attacking our positions every day; they don’t care about their troops. According to rough estimates, the enemy has lost over 20,000 troops," he wrote on Telegram.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the Ukrainian armed forces had been making unsuccessful attempts at a counteroffensive since June 4. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev stated that Ukraine had lost 13,000 troops since the start of the counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Ukrainian military had failed to achieve any success in any area.