LUGANSK, April 22. /TASS/. Control of the Veterinarnoye settlement in the Kharkov Region allows Russian troops to advance in two directions at once: to the south and to the west, creating a buffer zone near the Belgorod border area, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

"After liberating Veterinarnoye, our troops will be able to advance in both southern and western directions. In addition, simultaneously with the advancement in this area, a buffer zone will be formed in the border area with the Belgorod Region," he said.

On April 21, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Battlegroup North units had taken control over the settlement of Veterinarnoye in the Kharkov Region.