MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. Russian troops have established a foothold in the liberated village of Lastochkino and are continuing their offensive, a deputy commander of one of the brigades included in Russia’s battlegroup Center said.

"We have entrenched ourselves in Lastochkino and are continuing the offensive against the enemy. Now we are in the same place where the administration of Lastochkino was located. <...> The morale of our fighters is high, everyone is ready to continue, we will not give up. Our cause is right, victory will be ours," the deputy commander said in a video distributed by the Russian Defense Ministry.

He pointed out that the enemy used banned white phosphorus ammunition on the settlement as it was leaving. "You can see for yourself - everything is destroyed, because the enemy fought back hard, but they realized that they would not hold their positions and wanted to inflict at least some minor damage on our troops. They very often and actively use white phosphorus ammunition against us, although this ammunition is banned by the Geneva Convention," the serviceman said.

The Russian Defense Ministry released footage from a village liberated by Ukrainian troops. The operator of a reconnaissance drone recorded the flight of Ukrainian servicemen leaving their positions under the onslaught of assault units of the central battlegroup. "The village is under the full control of the Russian armed forces," the defense ministry said.