Russian defense minister visits battle zone on 2nd anniversary of war in Ukraine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on Saturday visited the battle zone to mark the second anniversary of the ongoing war with Ukraine.

During the visit, Shoygu got a briefing about the situation on the battlefield and presented awards to servicemen, according to a ministry statement.

Col. Gen. Andrey Mordvichev, Tsentr Group of Forces’ commander, told Shoygu that the Ukrainian troops maintain the same intensity of artillery shelling despite claims of shortage of ammunition.

During the operation to liberate Avdeyevka, Mordvichev said, the “enemy was pushed back 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from the positions.”

“The Russian troops continue advancing in all directions,” he added.

Mordvichev also noted that the Russian army used drones more actively over the past two weeks and “wiped out more than 700 enemy targets, including armoured hardware, artillery systems, radar means, and enemy manpower.”

Speaking about the war prisoners, Shoygu emphasized that they should be treated with respect and humanitarian norms.

He later examined the captured foreign military equipment.

Russia started what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.