Russian Armed Forces told about the liberation of the Druzhba settlement in the DNR

Soldiers of the 109th separate rifle regiment of the 51st Guards All-Russian Army of the Center group of troops who took part in the liberation of the Druzhba settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) have given details of the assault. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on February 11.

The regiment's reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) calculations conducted reconnaissance to identify firing positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) located in the settlement. Subsequently, enemy targets were destroyed by artillery and FPV drone calculations. The attack aircraft in small groups cleared basements and houses, knocking Ukrainian fighters out of the settlement.

"We went, we ran into a machine gunner, hid, ordered help, his position was dismantled, we moved on through the vegetable gardens, at that time we were hit by a mortar. We got there, had a break and went on storming. The enemy shot back until they ran out of ammunition, then they surrendered. We took them prisoner, started to take them out, one of them broke his leg on the way, we had to carry him on our backs," said deputy company commander Alexander Khvatkov.

In the course of combat operations, the attackers risked their lives to evacuate civilians, the Defense Ministry added. According to squad commander Sergei Saespayev, only small groups of three or four people could enter. During the assault, the military used either scout drones or maps to identify AFU machine-gun points. Civilians were taken out by entire families.

"During the fighting for the Druzhba settlement, the most difficult evacuation was when a fighter was wounded in the abdomen during a small arms battle. Together with the evacuation team we moved out in the dark, by dawn we rendered first aid and started evacuation on stretchers, we came under artillery fire and FPV drone raids, but everything went well," said company paramedic Valery Sidorov.

The command and personnel of the 132nd Independent Guards Motorized Rifle Gorlovka Order of the Republic Brigade and the 109th Independent Rifle Regiment of the 51st Guards Combined Arms Army of Army Group Center, who took part in the liberation of the Druzhba settlement of the Donetsk People's Republic, continue to honorably perform all assigned combat tasks, liberating the native lands of Donbass from the Ukrainian nationalists, the ministry said.

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Earlier, on January 30, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that tank crews of the 80th tank regiment of the 90th Guards Tank Vitebsk-Novgorod twice Red Banner Division of the troops grouping "Center" told details of the assault on the settlement of Novelizavetovka in the DNR, which was later liberated from Ukrainian militants.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was made against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.

More topical videos and details about the situation in Donbass, see on Izvestia TV channel.