The latest Russian communique announces no new air operations, but it does speak for the first time of the Russian fleet which, it says, ce-operated with the alr ' force In bombarding the "German naval base" of Constanza, on the Rumanian Black Sea coast, The communique also states that a Soviet cavalry division yesterday annihilated a German regiment, in Bessarabia, and reveals that last night a group of Soviet troops, supporled by a river flotilla, forced the Danube "and captured ' favourable positions, taking more then 500 pri Soners, 11 guns and a great quantity of ammunition, In the northern sector, the Russians claim to have countersattacked during their withdrawal, inflicting "important defeats on the enemy, London, June 28.
"Our air force during yesterday carried out operations against enemy mechanized forces in the direction of Shaviy in Lithuania, Vilna, Minsk and also Luck, in southern Poland, heavy losses being inflicted on the enemy," the Russian In~ formation Board announced in communique broadcast from Moscow today.
"One of our cavalry' divisions completely annihilated the 6th regiment of the enemy, which made attempts to cross the River Pruth.
"Following a battle on the banks of the River Danube, 300 more prisoners have been captured."—Reuter, Towards Minsk, the Russian communique continues, a large German tank attack was repulsed, "A Ger~ man Headquarters. was captured and a German general killed, Forty German tanks were destroyed."
In the area of Luck and Lwow:
(Lemberg), the Germans hurled large tank units' into the battle, effort to break through the' Russian Hines, but the Russians repulsed. all attempts and' inflicted heavy. losses the enemy, it is stated, Preparations Disrupted In the Bessarabian sector, pro-parations for a large-scale German offensive near Sculeni, on the River Pruth, were disrupted, On the, Rumahian frontier, it is' added, the Russians took prisoner 800 Germans and Rumanians, 'The communique then stresses the heroism, resourcefulness and das ing" of' the Red Army by saying that an infantry regiment, in a lightning attack, drove German forces out of a small' town, taking 22 prl= soners, "The enemy retreated, Jeaving more than 700 xilled and wounded on the spot," conclusion, the communique asserts that "Throughout the whole length of the front, from Przemysl to the Black Sea, our troops are steadfastly holding the frontier."
'The official Soviet agency men= Mons an incident three days ago When a German battalion disguised in' Red Army" uniforms" tried 10 invade Soviet territory, A Russian company, says the report, met the enemy with heavy fre,' but the Germans shouted:—"do of fire: we are friends!" The Russians ceased firing and soon found themselves surrounded, When they saw what had happened they used their hand grenades, forced their way out and opened. "heavy machine-gun fire on the Germans," After inflicting heavy tosses, they escaped from the enemy's trap. the report -adds,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.