"Units of the Vostok (East) group of forces continue to advance into the depth of the enemy's defense and liberated the settlement of Zaliznichnoye in Zaporozhye Region," the ministry's statement read.
The ministry also stated that establishing control over Zaliznichnoye has allowed the front line to be pushed westward from Gulyaipole (Hulyaipole) and expanded a foothold for further active operations.
"As a result of active combat operations, units [of the Vostok group of forces] have taken control of a well-fortified defense area of Ukrainian armed forces units, up to four kilometers [2.49 miles] deep and covering an area of over 18 square kilometers [6.95 square miles], over 500 structures have been cleared," the statement read.
According to the statement, the Ukrainian armed forces lost a significant number of personnel, more than 15 armored combat vehicles and pickup trucks, over 20 heavy hexacopters, and four ground robotic complexes during the liberation of the settlement.