Ukraine has taken back some territory north of Bakhmut, Wagner chief claims

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have repelled what it described as a "large scale offensive" by Ukrainian forces, saying it thwarted an attempt to break through Russian lines. 

In a statement Monday, the Russian military claims to have killed 250 Ukrainians and destroyed armored vehicles used in this assault. 

The Russian military is known for making inflated claims about Ukrainian losses and provided no evidence to back up its claim. CNN has also not been able to independently verify the claim.

In a post to their official Telegram feed, the Russian Ministry of Defense said the assault took place at “five sections of the front in the southern Donetsk direction."

The Ukrainian government has signaled in recent weeks that its troops are readying a major counteroffensive, but have also said there would be no announcement of its commencement.

The Russians claimed the goal of the Ukrainian operation was “to break through Russian defenses in what it considered to be the most vulnerable area of the front."

Ukrainian officials have not commented on this report, and CNN cannot independently verify Russia’s claims.

The statement added that at the time of the attack the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov was “at one of the forward command and control posts." 

Gerasimov has come under public criticism from the head of the Russian private military company Wagner for supposedly running the war from a comfortable office.

The Russian forces involved in this attack were the Vostok Group of Forces, the statement said.