MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. Russian forces have switched from artillery duels with the Ukrainian military to an offensive near Kremennaya in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and have progressed over one km forward in some sections of the front line, Rodion Miroshnik, former LPR ambassador to Moscow, said on Thursday.

"Our forces have advanced by more than one km in some places, which is substantial progress," he said in a live broadcast on the Soloviev Live TV Channel.

"We are now moving away from a perpetual struggle in the form of artillery bombardments, that is, exchanges of strikes that have been raging for four months already and have actually entered into their fifth month. Now we have switched to advancing on the ground, and it can be clearly seen that the Ukrainian side is giving in," he said.

Russian forces have taken several strongholds during their advance, Miroshnik noted. "At least in several small valleys running along this terrain. These are Malaya Zhuravka and Bolshaya Zhuravka where the advance can be observed. There is also an advance in Belogorovka and in the Kremennaya area towards Torskoye," he specified.

Presently, the LPR front line runs 5-7 km from the locality of Kremennaya in the republic’s west.