Russian assault units advancing in Liman in the Donetsk People’s Republic are trying to avoid unnecessary damage to dense residential areas so that civilians can return to their homes after the fighting ends, according to a commander of an assault detachment from the 37th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the Zapad group of forces, known by the call sign Samara.

He said preserving the city’s housing stock is possible only to the extent allowed by the enemy’s actions. In such conditions, Russian troops have to operate with particular caution, especially in built-up districts where every move carries additional risks.

Samara noted that fighting inside a city is far more difficult than operating in forested terrain. Urban combat, he explained, requires soldiers to stay highly focused and calculate their actions in advance, not just one step ahead but several moves forward.

The completion of Liman’s liberation, described as an important administrative center and major logistics hub, was announced on July 3 by Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. The following day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported in its briefing that Russian troops were carrying out clearing and demining operations in the city.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin said its purpose was to protect people who, according to him, had suffered for eight years from humiliation and genocide by the Kiev regime. He also stated that the operation was a last-resort step, as Russia had no other way to respond to the security risks that had emerged.