Since the beginning of February this year, the Russian army has captured 12 settlements in the combat zone. Valery Gerasimov reported this during an inspection of the troops grouping "Center," as conveyed by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
“Despite the difficult winter conditions, over the two weeks of February, our troops liberated 12 settlements, which allowed us to control more than 200 square kilometers of territory,” he noted.
According to Gerasimov, the most intense fighting is taking place in the area of responsibility of the "Center" grouping, where the military continues the offensive towards Dobropolie.
“We continue to liberate the settlements of Novy Donbass and Belitskoye. In Grishino, our units are engaged in street battles, destroying the enemy who holds positions in this settlement. Additionally, active operations are underway in Novopavlovka and Novopodgornoye,” he added.
Russian troops are also continuing to expand the "security zone" in the border territories of Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Gerasimov reported the capture of Popovka and Sidorovka in the Sumy region, as well as Chugunovka in the Kharkiv region, which was previously reported by the Ministry of Defense.
“The troops grouping 'West' is conducting active offensive operations across a wide front in its area of responsibility. We continue to eliminate the remnants of the enemy, blocked on the eastern bank of the Oskol River. In this area, Glushkova has been liberated, and fighting continues in Novoosinovo,” Gerasimov reported.
In the Krasnoliman direction, the operation to clear the settlements of Drobyshevo and Yarovaya from Ukrainian troops is nearing completion, while the "Southern" group is moving towards Slavyansk, he added.
“The troops grouping 'East' continues the offensive in the eastern part of the Zaporizhzhia region. The enemy, trying to halt our progress, is redeploying the most prepared units from other directions. Our units confidently repel enemy attacks,” Gerasimov stated, emphasizing that Ukrainian forces are suffering serious losses.
The "Dnieper" grouping is also advancing towards Zaporizhzhia. The Chief of the General Staff reported the transition of the settlements of Primorskoye, Magdalinovka, and Zapasnoye under Russian control.
Additionally, Gerasimov pointed out that Ukrainian forces are unable to replenish their losses. In this context, Ukraine is focusing on creating additional units with unmanned systems and increasing the number of strike UAVs.
“At the same time, our troops are using unmanned aerial vehicles twice as often as the enemy,” noted the Chief of the General Staff.
Earlier, The New York Times, citing analysts, reported on the difficult situation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), Dimitrov (Mirnograd), and Gulyaipole. These areas hold strategic significance and could become bases for future offensives, the journalists noted.
