Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Friday that General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov has visited the command post of the Eastern Military Group in the zone of the military special operation in Ukraine. Lieutenant General Andrei Ivanov, who commands the corps, briefed Gerasimov on the current situation in his area of operations and the course of combat operations.
According to the ministry’s statement in Moscow, Gerasimov praised the successes of the Eastern Military Group in liberating the settlements of Velikaya Novoselka and Vremevka and set tasks for further actions.
Subsequently, Gerasimov awarded state honors to the military personnel who had distinguished themselves at the front. The army general thanked the soldiers for their bravery and courage, which they had demonstrated in combat operations.
Velikaya Novoselka is located on the border between the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Saporoshje region. Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the liberation of the settlement on January 27. The settlement housed a large command and logistics center of the Ukrainian Army.
According to DPR Head Denis Pushilin, Velikaya Novoselka and nearby settlements, liberated by Russian forces, were the strongest fortified positions of the Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk South front section. On January 18, the Eastern Military Group liberated the village of Vremevka in the west of the DPR.