MELITOPOL, September 26. /TASS/. Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian tanks that were involved in an attempted attack in the Orekhov area of Zaporozhye Region, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the We Stand With Russia movement, said.

"There were three pieces of heavy equipment, that is, tanks, and two of them were destroyed; it happened in the Orekhov area," he noted. "The 71st Ranger Brigade [of the Ukrainian armed forces] made two attempts to launch an attack yesterday evening; the two attacks took place near [the frontline village of] Verbovoye. Those attacks were repelled," the politician added.

According to Rogov, reports claiming that Ukrainian troops had broken through Russia’s first line of defense, which have repeatedly appeared in the Western and Ukrainian media, do not comport with reality.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the Ukrainian armed forces had been making unsuccessful attempts at a counteroffensive since June 4. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 12 that, since then, Ukrainian troops had lost 71,500 troops, 543 tanks and almost 18,000 armored vehicles of various types. According to the Russian head of state, Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed to produce any results.