MOSCOW

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov arrived on Friday at the deployment of the Zapad (West) group of forces in Ukraine to personally oversee the situation.

The minister convened a meeting and received detailed reports on the current operational environment and the nature of enemy actions, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry.

Belousov was briefed on army supply efforts in the combat zone and awarded medals to deserving personnel.

"Since the start of the year, 18 settlements and over 330 square kilometers of territory have been liberated in the Izyum direction. Presently, we are conducting offensive operations in four settlements to secure their liberation," Colonel-General Sergey Kuzovlev, commander of the group, Belousov said.

The minister was apprised of the innovative uses of modern drones, both for delivering targeted firepower against adversaries and supplying logistical resources to frontline troops.

Belousov was also introduced to cutting-edge drone countermeasures, designed based on lessons learned from battlefield experiences and suggestions from the group's soldiers.