MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian army, General Valery Gerasimov has inspected the mission progress of battlegroup Center in the Krasnoarmeisk direction, the Defense Ministry said.

"The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Commander of the Joint Group of Troops (forces) in the area of the special military operation, Army General Valery Gerasimov, checked the progress of combat missions by formations and military units of battlegroup Center operating in the Krasnoarmeisk area," it said in a statement.

The ministry said Gerasimov summed up the interim results with the command of battlegroup Center and set tasks for further actions.

Also, the Defense Ministry added, the chief of the general staff presented state awards to the servicemen who most distinguished themselves during the liberation of the Donetsk People's Republic, and thanked them for their valor and courage shown in carrying out combat missions.