LUGANSK, August 20. /TASS/. Russian forces advanced in the Svatovo-Kremennaya area in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), pushing Ukrainian troops out of several strongholds, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS on Tuesday.

"Over the past few days, Russian forces have managed to move forward and improve their tactical position in Peschanoye, Stelmakhovka, Nevskoye and Makeyevka in the LPR and in Terny. <…> Russian troops have also managed to push the enemy out of three fortified areas," he said.

In two frontline areas in the Svatovo-Kremennaya direction, Ukrainian troops themselves abandoned their positions and ran light-handed towards the Oskol reservoir, he said.