LUGANSK, December 10. /TASS/. The Russian Armed Forces, liberating the Ostapovskoye settlement in the Dnepropetrovsk region from Ukrainian troops, have expanded the buffer zone 1 km into the neighboring Zaporozhye Region, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

"With the liberation of Ostapovskoye, our servicemen have expanded the buffer zone between the Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions by more than 1 km," he said.

The military expert noted that the liberation of Ostapovskoye opens maneuver room for Russian troops to advance both north and west of the settlement. On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of Ostapovskoye in the Dnepropetrovsk Region by Battlegroup East service members.