MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. Chief of Russia’s General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov has inspected the progress of combat missions by the Battlegroup South, the Russian Defense Ministry revealed.

"Army General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and Russian First Deputy Defense Minister, has inspected the progress of combat missions conducted by units and troops of the Battlegroup South. <…> Army General Valery Gerasimov received a report about the situation in the area of responsibility from Battlegroup Commander Colonel General Sergey Medvedev and reports from commanders of units and formations about the results of accomplished combat missions," the ministry said in a report. According to it, the general commended the Battlegroup South’s successes in liberating the Donetsk People’s Republic and formulated new tasks.

Also, Gerasimov awarded state decorations to the most distinguished servicemen and thanked them for their courage and heroism in accomplishing combat tasks, the ministry added.