Forces of the DPR and LPR established control over 227 settlements

Fighters of the People's Militia of the DPR . File photoDONETSK, June 5 The forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, with fire support from the Russian Armed Forces, have established full control over 227 settlements in the DPR, including Ilyichevka in the Krasnolimansky district, the DPR territorial defense headquarters reports. As of June 5, 2022, on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic, a grouping of troops from the DPR and LPR, with fire support from the RF Armed Forces, liberated and established full control over 227 settlements, including Ilyichevka in the Krasnolimansky district,» the headquarters' Telegram channel said in a statement. It is noted that «there are battles for Svyatogorsk.» Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and On March 25, they completed the main tasks of the first stage — they significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.