The Russian Ministry of Defense has released video footage showing the raising of the Russian tricolor over the Serebryansky forestry area in the Lugansk People’s Republic.

Earlier, Chief of the Russian General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, reported that Russian forces had fully expelled Ukrainian units from Serebryansky forestry, securing control over the area.

The day before, scouts from Russia’s «Zapad» group described the fighting there, saying that experienced Ukrainian units were among the first to abandon their positions in an attempt to escape. The remaining defenders, they noted, were recently mobilized troops who had been left without any real support.