“Within two weeks, groups in the Gorsky cauldron, in the areas of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk, were surrounded and liquidated,” he said.

According to him, 25 settlements were taken under control - the largest of which are Severdonetsk, Zolote, Gorskoye, Volcheyarovka.

“The operation was completed yesterday with the liberation of one of the largest cities in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Lisichansk,” Shoigu reported.

On July 3, it became known that the troops of the "Center" grouping, together with the Southern grouping of troops, closed the encirclement around Lisichansk.