SIMFEROPOL, March 6. /TASS/. Russian forces will soon liberate the city of Zaporozhye, which is now under the Ukrainian forces’ control, the acting governor of the Zaporozhye Region Yevgeny Balitsky said on Monday.
"I am sure that in the near future - maybe in a month, maybe in a year, it will be up to the servicemen - Zaporozhye will be liberated," he told the Crimea-24 TV channel.
Balitsky stressed that Zaporozhye would be Russian. "This matter is closed for us," he said.
In February, Balitsky said that Russian forces controlled about 62.5% of the region's territory. In late January, Russian forces took control of nine settlements previously held by the Ukrainian armed forces during an offensive in the Zaporozhye Region. At present, the line of contact has stabilized.