MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. The forces of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) advanced 4 km forward in the past 24 hours to reach the northern edge of Severodonetsk, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday.

"The group of forces of the Lugansk People’s Republic continued offensive operations with the fire support of the Russian troops and reached the Krasny Liman - Privolye - Severodonetsk northern edge frontier. The forces advanced 4 km forward," the spokesman said.

The units of the armed forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic tightened their encirclement of the city of Mariupol and also gained control of the communities of Vinogradnoye, Sartana and Vodyanoye, the general said.

The Russian troops continued their successful offensive operations and seized control of Chistopolye, Novopoltavka and Zhovtnevoye and levelled off the forward edge with units of the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman said.

The city of Balakleya was liberated from Ukrainian nationalist battalions, the spokesman said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on the morning of February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories and the operation was aimed at demilitarizing and denazifying Ukraine.