New Delhi, July 19 -- MOSCOW - Russian forces from the 36th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of Battlegroup East liberated the village of Volnoye in Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk region on Sunday, the Defense Ministry announced, after aerial reconnaissance identified Ukrainian machine-gun positions, mortar firing sites, and UAV launch locations before strike aviation and attack drones cleared the defenses ahead of the ground advance.

The ministry described the operation as the result of "decisive actions" that allowed Battlegroup East to advance into enemy defenses. The liberation of Volnoye is presented in Moscow's official communications as establishing a new foothold in Dnepropetrovsk that creates conditions for further advancement in the ...