Lugansk People’s Republic militiamen are advancing deep into Zolotoye, LPR People’s Militia Lt-Col Andrey Marochko told the Lugansk Media Center.

“Our units have entered the settlement of Zolotoye; they are currently advancing deep into the settlement,” Marochko said.

After encircling Ukraine’s Gorskoye-Zolotoye group of troops, LPR militia and Russian army units “began to tighten the encirclement,” he said.

“As lately as yesterday, our units jointly entered the settlement of Katerinovka; the advance is ongoing, so the tempo isn’t bad,” Marochko added.

Earlier, the LPR Defense Ministry said that Kiev forces outside Gorskoye were in a kill area. It also said that the LPR militia had taken control of the road to Lisichansk and continued to advance towards Severodonetsk.

LPR militiamen have been advancing towards Severodonetsk and Lisichansk since early March; taking these towns is a priority of the LPR Defense Ministry. The defense in depth organized by Kiev forces and their use of civilians as a human shield complicate the liberation of the towns. On top of that, the area accommodates several large chemical companies. On May 29, the LPR Defense Ministry said that LPR militia units, supported by Russian forces, gained a foothold in Severodonetsk. On May 31, LPR’s Head Leonid Pasechnik said that the militia controlled one-third of the city. On June 13, the Republic’s Defense Ministry said that LPR militiamen and servicemen of the Akhmat special operations regiment were dislodging Kiev forces from Severodonetsk’s industrial zone.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Earlier, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance. As of now, some 95 percent of the LPR territory has been liberated.

The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014.  The peace talks participants have announced ceasefire more than 20 times since the autumn of 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *i*s