MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army’s attempts to break through the defenses in the Zaporozhye Region in the areas of Verbovoye and Rabotino have failed, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said during a conference call with the senior staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

"The enemy's attempts to break through our defenses in the areas of Verbovoye and Rabotino in the Zaporozhye Region have failed. The 70th Mechanized Infantry Regiment and the 56th Airborne Assault Regiment, as well as the 810th Marine Brigade and the 291st Artillery Brigade have successfully accomplished their tasks. The 55th Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the 228th Mechanized Infantry Regiment performed very well in the Krasny Liman area," Shoigu said.

The Ukrainian army has been making unsuccessful offensive attempts since June 4. On September 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Kiev had lost 71,500 troops and about 18,500 tanks and other armored vehicles by that date. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on September 26 that Ukraine's losses had exceeded 17,000 men in one month alone, and that the counter-offensive had failed to yield significant results.