He said this during a conference call at the Ministry of Defense.
“The attempt of the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Nikolaev-Kryvyi Rih and other directions continues,” he said.
According to him, Ukrainian troops are suffering significant losses.
Shoigu also said that the purpose of Ukraine's "counteroffensive" is to create the illusion of Kyiv's ability to resist the Russian army.
Prior to this, former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had attempted an offensive to create the image of an allegedly strong Ukraine.