Russia-Ukraine counter-offensive information war. Zuppi will also fly to Moscow

The Vatican’s envoy to Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who arrives in Kiev today, is also expected to visit Moscow, Russia’s Tass news agency writes, citing an “informed source in the Vatican”. Zuppi’s trip “is being prepared”, added the source, without, however, pointing to a possible date. Zuppi will be in Kiev today and tomorrow. This morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmity Peskov explained that, at the moment, a meeting with the Pope’s envoy to Ukraine was not on Vladimir Putin’s agenda. “Not at the moment, if (a meeting, ed.) is included, I will let you know,” Peskov replied to journalists who asked him about a possible meeting between the Russian president and the Pope’s envoy. “We know that he will go to Kiev first, then we will let you know,” he added of a possible visit by Zuppi to Moscow.

Meanwhile, an information war is raging between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow announced it had rejected a “full-scale attack” in the Donbass, while Kiev – which has claimed for months to be preparing for a major counter-offensive – fails to confirm that performed the operation. Last night, a significant escalation of front-line fighting in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions was reported, which made one think about the expected start of the counter-offensive.

Moscow’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine had attacked with six mechanized and two tank battalions at five points in the Russian-held Donetsk region. “The enemy wanted to break through our defenses in what they thought was the most vulnerable part of the front, but they were not successful,” said Russian Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov, adding that 250 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and destroyed in the operation. , three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored personnel carriers. According to Moscow Valeri Gerasimov, Russian Chief of Staff Valei Gerasimov was near the front line when the attack was repulsed.

Backed by new Western military supplies such as the British long-range Storm Shadow missiles, Kiev has long been planning its counter-offensive to regain territories occupied by Russian troops. But the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, a government agency in Kiev, called Moscow’s version a bogus “psychological and media operation” aimed at “demoralizing Ukrainians”. Ukraine has always said it will not announce the start of the summer counter-offensive in advance, urging caution regarding any such news.