LUGANSK, December 9. /TASS/. The liberation of Novodanilovka gives Russian forces an opportunity to advance northwest toward a major Ukrainian stronghold near Orekhovo in the Zaporozhye Region, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

"After liberating Novodanilovka, our troops will begin advancing northwest toward a major Ukrainian militant outpost located near Orekhovo and the settlement itself. Overall, we have achieved significant success here, as our troops have been fighting in this area for quite a long time," he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on December 8 that the Russian army had liberated Novodanilovka in the Zaporozhye Region.