- Sputnik International, 1920, 25.02.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev's forces.

Donetsk People’s Republic Head Slams Zelensky’s Lies About Russia's 'Lack of Victories'

© Sputnik / Konstantin Mihalchevskiy / Go to the mediabankA Russian serviceman of a mobile anti-aircraft unit stands guard by a UAZ truck mounted with a DShK machine gun as he is on combat duty for repelling attacks of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the course of Russia's military operation in Ukraine
A Russian serviceman of a mobile anti-aircraft unit stands guard by a UAZ truck mounted with a DShK machine gun as he is on combat duty for repelling attacks of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the course of Russia's military operation in Ukraine - Sputnik International, 1920, 08.01.2024
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The main goal of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine in 2023 had been to disrupt the counteroffensive of the Kiev regime, and “this task was successfully accomplished," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted in December.
The head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin has branded Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks about Russia’s alleged lack of serious victories a lie.
“The last thing I would like to comment on is words spewed by a person whose own actions are built upon outright lies. For example, about the fact that not a single large city was liberated,” Pushilin told Sputnik.

"Listen, shouldn’t we consider Artemovsk large? It is true that Kiev was not liberated this year… I would have liked it to have been liberated by now… but let me tell you that in Artemovsk, Soledar — this is, of course, a smaller settlement — a great many objectives were accomplished!" he stressed.

This was a kind of forerunner of subsequent failures of the Ukrainian armed forces,” Pushilin noted, adding it had been "a landmark moment."
"This signifies that subsequent competent actions of the Russian military stemmed from the tasks and goals set before them,” said the DPR head.
Pushilin praised the competent actions of the Russian military in the face of the tasks set before them, which made it possible to achieve those results.
In 2023, Russia “confronted the entire collective West with their financial power, the power of their weapons,” said Pushilin. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s much-heralded counteroffensive was defeated.
“Volodymyr Zelensky can make excuses as much as he likes, but the Russian army is moving forward,” summed up Denis Pushilin.
Earlier, Ukraine’s president told The Economist that the Ukrainian summer counteroffensive failed due to “information leaks” that he claimed helped Russia prepare its defences. Moscow, insisted Zelensky, could not boast of any victories, as Russia’s Armed Forces had “failed to take a single major city in 2023.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu  - Sputnik International, 1920, 26.12.2023
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
Russian Armed Forces Fulfill Main Goal of 2023 by Foiling Ukrainian Counteroffensive - Shoigu
In late December, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Russian Armed Forces had fulfilled the main goal of 2023 by thwarting Ukraine's counteroffensive.

"The main efforts of the outgoing year were focused on achieving the goals of the special military operation. The main one was to disrupt the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian armed forces loudly proclaimed by Ukraine and its NATO allies. This task was successfully accomplished," Shoigu said.

The Ukrainian military took more than 125,000 casualties and lost 16,000 pieces of heavy equipment during the six-month counteroffensive, said Shoigu.
In an interview with Sputnik, Pushilin also said speculation over the identities of Ukrainian political and military leaderrs jostling to replace Zelensky was irrelevant.
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