Russia says its forces liberated Avdeyevka, moved 8.6 km ahead

Russian forces liberated Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on February 17 and advanced for 8.6 kilometers, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"On February 17, in the course of offensive operations, units of the battlegroup Center fully liberated the town of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic and advanced for 8.6 km. The total area of the liberated territory totals 31.75 square kilometers. The enemy lost more than 1,500 servicemen," the ministry said.

 Russian forces seized four Ukrainian army’s strongholds near the settlement of Rabotino in the Zaporozhye Region, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the We Are Together with Russia public movement, told TASS.

"Yesterday and this night we seized four strongholds of the Ukrainian army near Rabotino," he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that units of the battlegroup Dnepr seized more favorable positions and struck the enemy's personnel and equipment near Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region.