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The joint forces of Russia, DPR, and LPR have been successfully developing their operation in the region of Donbass.
As of March 18, troops of the Lugansk People’s Republic, with support of the Russian Armed Forces, liberated more than 90% of the territory in which it declared its independence. This means that 90% of the territory of Ukraine’s Lugansk Region is in thehands of LPR.
Late of March 17, LPR troops took control of the key settlement of Rubezhnoe, north of the Severodonetsk-Lysichansk agglomeration. Currently, LPR units are eliminating the vestiges of pro-Kyiv forces around it. This advance took place amid the ongoing collapse of the Ukrainian defense in Severodonetsk. Reports suggest that most pro-Kyiv units already withdrew from the town to Lysichansk. The rest of them is in fact encircled in Severodonetsk.
Rubezhnoe (also called Rubejnoe in media):
At the same time, forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Russia advanced in the northern sector. They took control of the settlements of Zolotaya Niva, Novodonetskoe, Novomayorskoe and Prechistovka.
In the sector east of Donetsk city, DPR units are pressuring Kyiv’s forces deployed in their strong points of Mariinka and Adviivka. Despite intense clashes in the area, DPR forces achieved no breakthrough there.
Tactical clashes also took place north of the town of Ugledar in the nearby sector. Kyiv actively uses small mobile groups supported by military equipment to slow down the advancing forces there.
Fierce clashes continued in Mariupol city. Units of the Donetsk People’s Republic, with the support of the Russian Armed Forces, are increasing their pressure on units of pro-Kyiv forces in the city center. After the recent advances in the north of the city, DPR units captured the southeastern sector of it and put their flag over the administrative building in Levoberejniy District.
Fighting also continued in the Izyum area and north of Slavyansk. Russian troops reportedly reached the northern outskirts of Kamenka, northwest of Slavyansk. Reports claim that the Ukrainian Armed Forces sent reinforcements to Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Konstantinovka. Thus, they will likely try to turn these cities into strongholds and defended them to slow down the further advance of Russian-led forces.
In the north of Ukraine, Russian forces have beenworking to consolidate their gains and tighten the encirclement over such cities as Chernihiv and Symi. The situation around Kyiv city remains relatively same with the Russians intensifying the blocking of the city from the northern, eastern and western directions.
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According to the Russian Defense Ministry, during the night, aviation and air defense systems of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down six more Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the air, including a Bayraktar TB-2.
Russian operational-tactical, army and unmanned aircraft hit 81 military facilities of Ukraine. This included four installations of multiple launch rocket systems, three command posts, eight ammunition depots and 28 military equipment gathering sites.
The Russian side says that since the start of the military operation its forces have destroyed 183 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1406 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 138 multiple rocket launchers, 535 field artillery pieces and mortars, as well as 1197 units of special military vehicles.
