Russian Armed Forces liberate the village of Zarya in the DNR

The Russian Armed Forces have liberated the village of Zarya in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, December 12.

"As a result of decisive actions of the units of the Center group of troops, the settlement of Zarya in the Donetsk People's Republic has been liberated," the ministry said in a statement.

Also, the Russian grouping of troops hit the living force and equipment of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the areas of the settlements of Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Mirolyubovka and Shevchenko of the DNR. In addition, nine counterattacks by armed Ukrainian formations were repelled.

The AFU lost up to 390 military personnel, a Krab self-propelled artillery unit, a tank, two vehicles and two 122-millimeter D-30 howitzers.

The ministry specified that the air defense means (air defense) shot down four shells of US HIMARS rocket launchers and destroyed 37 UAVs.

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On December 10, the Russian military liberated the village of Zheltoye in the DNR. Prior to that, on December 8, the Defense Ministry reported that the Russian Armed Forces took control of Blagodatnoye in the region.

Earlier, on December 6, it was reported that the Russian military liberated the settlements of Pustynka and Sukhiye Yaly in the DNR. On the same day, the Defense Ministry published footage of the Russian Armed Forces destroying a temporary deployment point of a Ukrainian Army National Guard unit in the Donetsk People's Republic.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.